 | The Cavalier daily Friday, May 11, 1973 |  |
Security Keeps A Finger On Crime
By DREW GARDNER
W.W.Bromwell,Director,Crimestoppers,Inc.
Director of Security W.W. Bromwell says that his department
"tries to keep its fingers on the pulse of the trends in the
University Community." In a special interview Mr. Bromwell
commented on the present trends in crime, on rape at the
University, on narcotic use, and on the efforts of the Security
Department to meet the demands of a changing University.
In the last five years, he feels that the major trend in crime is
in numbers. "We've probably had more arrests because the
University is larger. The increase in the number of people he says
has brought in more "across the board people", and consequently
a greater number of violations.
Besides narcotics, he feels that "Petty theft is the crime that
has changed, in numbers, the most. But it has proportionately
increased with the growth of the population." Mr. Bromwell
commented that "Many crimes associated with the Grounds
though, when we look at them, have not really occurred on the
University."
He continued, referring to assault as an example," Many of
these crimes occur because we have a University, and many of
these crimes are of interest to us because they may involve a
student as a victim. But the fact that these crimes involves the
University, makes it look as though they are a University problem
alone." Most of the assaults that we've had have occurred off the
Grounds, but in reading about them people think of them as
University crimes, simply because they involve the University in
some way."
Crimes, particularly thefts under 100 dollars have occurred in
large numbers. Mr. Bromwell asserted that "because of the
openings of the dormitories, people are unchallenged going
through. Therefore an individual inclined towards committing a
theft, finds this area very vulnerable." And he said that "this type
of crime is very difficult to solve."
Here the question arises as to whether the Honor System has a
positive or negative effect on crime prevention at the University?
Security Director Bromwell said that that was a difficult
question to answer accurately. He did, though, comment on his
approach to the system, saying: "Sure we have an Honor System,
and the Honor System is going to prevent some thefts. But let's
not tempt someone beyond his capability to resist, whether he is
a student or non-student.
"They say everybody has a little larceny in them, Mr.
Bromwell continues, "if that's true, let's make him use it by his
own initiative; and not make it too easy on him." What he
concluded was that "We should get the good mileage out of the
Honor System; but let's also get additional mileage by not
tempting the weaker student."
In regards to the increase in crime to the University, Mr.
Bromwell stated that the Security Department has adjusted by
"increasing their personnel, primarily to develop a deterrent
force." He cited the year when co-eds first arrived, as a year when
the department foresaw a needed increase in Security Department
personnel.
Moving on to narcotic use and/or abuse, Mr. Bromwell
started: "According to my "own feeling, there appears to be less
involvement in harder drugs. And I don't know that there's been
an increase in marijuana." He explained he "got the feeling that,
over a wide area, it doesn't seem to be as popular as it had been."
Asked whether he felt this was a reflection of the national
trend, Mr. Bromwell commented "I couldn't tell from a national
| Armed Robberies | 2 |
| Assault | 23 |
| Bomb Threats | 6 |
| Damage to Property (includes vandalism) |
82 |
| Personal | 33 |
| University | 49 |
| Disorderly Conduct | 89 |
| Drugs | |
| Arrests | 5 |
| Investigations | 21 |
| Fire | 46 |
| Forgery | 5 |
| Indecent Exposure | 6 |
| Missing Persons | 79 |
| Security Violations Of Buildings |
372 |
| Soliciting | 5 |
| Suspicious Persons | 37 |
| Theft | 638 |
| Traffic Problems | |
| Complaints | 473 |
| Hit and Run | 64 |
| Parking Citations | 17,668 |
false impression, from the standpoint that maybe more people are
becoming more tolerant of it [drug use], and therefore we don't
hear as much. I don't know the reason, but I know that you don't
hear as much about its use anymore."
Mr. Bromwell said that the Security Department did conduct
its own investigations. But he added that "when you have
something like narcotics, it is the type of thing that you can't
initiate right here. You've got to have some type of outside
contact. So it would behoove an investigator to get some
information from outside the grounds; because, if you have an
individual who is a distributor, then you have to ask: 'Where is he
getting it?' He doesn't get it on the Grounds. So it helps to look
off the Grounds, to try to put all thy pieces together."
The topic of assault, particularly rape, motivated Mr. CD/Bob Humphrey
Bromwell to clarify the difference between the two. He said that
reported assaults do not always involve sex, but that rape cases
may be listed on The Departments records as merely assault. He
said that they were changing this procedure because it has worked
to the disadvantage of the Department. "Every time someone uses
these figures, they think, my God we've had that many rapes? It's
"Everybody Has A Little Larceny In Them"
year, if it was that high, then I would say that only two of those
involved sexual assault."
He said that "the fact that you have a highly concentrated
area with a lot of girls" is the major reason there are so many
rapes in this area. "It's the logical place to go – the University –
if someone intends to commit that crime." He also commented
that if you have an incident like this, it attracts more interest
because you have such a large number of people with a lot in
common. "There's a different public attitude here ... there are
more people who are concerned here. There are more people that
relate to that incident because you have 12,500 students here."
To adjust to the crime trends on the University, Mr. Bromwell
said that "even the sergeant on the shift will make changes in the
patrol as the need arises. If we have a very vulnerable area, with a
high incident rate, then we will shift our concentration to that
particular area."
They Were There At The Right Time
He added that "unfortunately, something has to happen,
before we can make a move and a concentration. But if we were
able to statistically record the number of times a crime was
prevented by a man being in a particular place at the right time,
then we would be able to combat this problem of people saying
"where were the police."
Mr. Bromwell asserted that the Security Department "could
not have an officer every 20 feet, so that what you have to do, is
do the best you can with the manpower you have." The director
did note that the best time in the world for the Security
Department to acquire more money, more equipment, or more
men, was at a time when there was a lot of public sentiment
about police performance. He cited the example of the situation
of a signal light at an intersection. "How many times does one
have to ask for a signal light at a particular intersection, before
someone gets killed there, to get a signal light up? Seldom do you
get the light before there is a fatality at the intersection. It's a hell
of a way to run a railroad, but let's face it, that's what happens."
Director Bromwell concluded that the best they could do was
to "utilize the manpower they have to create a maximum
deterrent force on the University."
| The Cavalier daily Friday, May 11, 1973 | |