- Aaron Woodruff,
ISU Chief of Police
Annie Le was a promising young graduate student at Yale University studying doctoral pharmacology. On September 8, 2009, she was working a late night in the lab on Yale’s campus. Raymond Clark III, a lab technician, was working in the building as well. Le was scheduled to be married five days later on September 13, but she would never live to see her wedding day.
That night, Clark brutally beat her to death and left her behind a wall in the lab where she was left until discovered the day which she was supposed to be wed. Yale, which is now facing a lawsuit, is being accused of having inadequate security. If Yale, one of the top universities in the United States is unsafe, some may wonder how ISU measures up in terms of security.
Chief of ISU Police Aaron Woodruff said ISU’s crime statistics are average overall. Every month, there are 10 to 15 thefts, three to four burglaries in residence halls, two to three reports of aggravated assaults, five arrests for unlawful consumption of alcohol by minors and two to three sexual assaults a year.
There have not been any murders involving ISU students since at least 2007. Aside from these relatively low reports of crime, students can rest easier knowing the campus police are around.
“We average three to four officers on duty any time,” Woodruff said.
ISU’s campus is also watched by one or two unarmed security officers for the majority of the day to be sure that buildings are open and closed when they are supposed to be.
Another safety measure that is convenient for students are the emergency call boxes located on campus. Woodruff said as soon as a students presses the red button inside a call box, the 9-1-1 dispatcher will be able to tell where the student is by the unique number attached to it.
Officers will usually respond within two to three minutes. Whether students are studying late nights at the Milner Library, attending events at the Bone Student Center or simply visiting friends in residence halls on campus, there are plenty of opportunities to be wandering around campus late at night, causing decreased safety.
However, many students do not realize that the safety they practice outside needs to be practiced in their resident halls as well.
“When you see suspicious activity and when you see something happening, call us immediately, don’t delay,” Woodruff said.
So do ISU students feel safe on campus?
“Yes I do, it’s well lit,” Kate Cauffold, freshman, said.
“When you see those blue buttons you feel safe because you can see them from anywhere on campus,” Jen Schafman, sophomore student, said.
Another resource to help students feel more protected on campus is the free program for women known as Rape Aggression Defense or R.A.D.
This program will be offered again on Nov. 12 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and has a capacity of 30 students. If you are interested in taking this class, please call 309-438-8631.
No matter how safe you feel on campus, it is always important to pay attention to your surroundings and take action if you feel something is not right.
“You can have all the security in the world but one of the best ways to protect yourself is your intuition and instincts,” Woodruff said.