President McPhee, Mayor McFarland continue work to deter
off-campus crime
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State
University’s police department would gain more authority to work with
Murfreesboro law enforcement outside campus under a plan being considered by
city and university leaders.
The proposal was put forward last week to a group
assembled by MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Murfreesboro Mayor Shane
McFarland to develop strategies to combat crime in off-campus apartment complexes.
The group is drafting an agreement that, if approved,
would allow campus police to support and assist Murfreesboro police as
requested by the city in off-campus areas. It would likely start with MTSU
Police conducting inspections of complexes as part of a safety awareness
program that is also being developed.
“We must be energetic and
determined in our efforts to keep our campus and community safe,” McPhee said.
“I am pleased Mayor McFarland and our city partners have long made this a top
priority and are willing to explore new ideas.”
McPhee and McFarland asked MTSU
Police Chief Buddy Peaster and Murfreesboro Police Chief Karl Durr to work with
city and university colleagues to draft an agreement for consideration by
mid-June with a July target for implementation.
The president and mayor also
commended the outstanding work of the police, which has resulted in arrests
within days of the recent homicides, as well as the stepped-up patrols around
the complexes by Murfreesboro police.
“The safety of our city and citizens, students and
visitors remains our primary concern,” McFarland said. “It requires the
teamwork and involvement of the city, the university, the complexes and other
entities who can help us in our efforts.”
McPhee said he was concerned how many off-campus
complexes, which are marketed to students, are becoming increasingly populated
by non-students. Many units in those complexes are rented by the bedroom rather
than full apartments.
“I am hopeful that the concerted efforts by the city and
university will bring about substantial changes and tighter security at these
private enterprises that are being marketed and leased to our students,” McPhee
said.
McPhee and McFarland, along with city and university
officials, plan to meet with complex owners and managers this week to discuss
further the safety awareness and inspection program and share other concerns.
MTSU Police employs 44 full-time officers, five full-time
dispatchers and about 20 part-time student workers to patrol the 500-plus-acre
university campus. Its officers are commissioned, have full arrest powers and
meet the same employment and training requirements as other law enforcement in
Tennessee.
In most instances, MTSU police may only be engaged on
campus and areas immediately adjacent to the campus; on all property or
facilities owned, leased, controlled or operated by MTSU; or on any public
roads or rights of way contiguous to, or within the perimeter of, university
facilities or property.
Peaster said MTSU Police has “close, working relationships
with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies,” which are available
to help as needed on campus. MTSU Police has a mutual aid agreement with the
Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office for additional personnel and equipment in
the event of emergencies.
The safety inspection program for apartment complexes is
one of several ideas being developed by the city-university group assembled by
McPhee and McFarland.
The proposal would allow apartment managers to invite police
to assess security measures and practices in place at
complexes. Facilities that meet criteria and implement recommended best
practices for safety would be eligible for a special emblem that could be
displayed to prospective tenants.
The university would then make available the list of
complexes who earned the safety emblem to prospective students and families
seeking information on off-campus housing options.
The city-university group is also working to allow city
police to refer criminal and non-criminal cases involving students off campus
to the university’s Office of Judicial Affairs and Mediation Services for
review under MTSU’s Code of Conduct.
And it is working on an easy-to-read online site so that
prospective students and parents can quickly see how many police calls and
violent crimes have been recorded at complexes on a quarterly and annual basis.
McPhee said the
university has put forward several proactive and preventive actions to reduce
crime, including more security cameras, improved campus lighting, increased
foot patrols and community policing, as well as public awareness campaigns
through Student Health Services and MTSU Housing and Residential Life.
And, the
president said, the latest campus crime statistics from the Tennessee Bureau of
Investigation show drops in most major categories.
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