Nothing good happens after midnight.
That's a sentence university police officers have been repeating a lot lately, Gene Burton, director of public safety, said.
Three of the most publicized crimes on Ball State University's campus this semester — the Scheumann Stadium armed robbery, The Chug's drive by shooting and Kyle Evan's assault — happened after 2 a.m.
Reported assaults at Ball State jumped from 32 by this time in 2008 to 41 this year. The number of assaults with deadly or dangerous weapons also increased by five from 2008 to 2009, according to campus police records.
But just how dangerous is Ball State?
Burton said the amount of crimes happening around campus is actually pretty consistent with past semesters. But the unusual nature of some make the problem seem worse.
"We don't have armed robberies on campus very often," he explained. "So when something like that happens, it brings more attention to it."
The most common crime around campus is theft, Burton said. The holiday season combined with Muncie's economic troubles has led to a spike in burglary rates across the city.
"We take more theft calls than we do anything else," Burton said. "This time of year its not unusual for car break-ins to go up."
The police department has shifted some of its focus from campus patrols to off-campus neighborhoods to discourage burglaries. Anywhere from three to seven officers are on duty during night hours, Burton said.
Charlie's Charter hours, which were extended for two weekends following a false report of an attack, have gone back to normal as well. Burton said the university's limited budget and the low demand were reasons for not keeping the longer hours. The four extra days had a total ridership of 25 people. The service averages 65 to 70 students each night during the week, Burton said.
"That tells me right there — there wasn't much demand," he said.
Burton and school officials don't anticipate more "unusual occurrences," but still encourage students to take precautions to keep themselves safe.
"I don't think its ever a bad thing to be concerned about your safety and take extra precautions," Burton said.
Safety precautions:
- Think about where you're going. How are you going to get there and back?
- Stay in well-lit areas
- Think "If I have a problem, where can I go for safety?"
- Think "What would I do if I was approached?"
- Let someone know where you're going before leaving
- Travel in groups
- Project confidence
- Don't talk on cell phone while walking
- Pay attention to surroundings
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