By
Steven Dlugosz
When students need a place to go for help
with anything, they can go to the Chase Hall Building in
Buffalo State College. That is where the Buffalo
State University Police Department resides. In
addition to providing security and maintenance, there are
also a number of services available to students, such as
transportation from the Escort Van and Bengal Buggy.
What types of crimes happen on campus?
Deputy Chief James McCarthy, who has been on the police
force since 1972, said that crime investigations take up
most of his time on campus. McCarthy takes part in much
of the police force’s action, heading investigations
and coordinating training. According to McCarthy, theft
is the most common offense committed on campus. The order
of the most frequently occurring crimes is:
- petty larceny
- grand larceny
- auto theft
- criminal mischief
Last semester’s fire in Tower 3 in
particular took up a lot of time for the police.
A memorable case
“There are a group of violent cases that hurt people
physically, mentally, or spiritually- those are the ones that
tend to stay with you,” says McCarthy.
He noted that one case in March 2000 was particularly violent.
The case dealt with a young man (Lamont Coleman) not involved
with the college who attacked a staff member in a building
on campus. The incident led to a time-consuming manhunt, and
state-wide officials were contacted. The suspect was finally
apprehended in Savannah, Georgia, recently and was charged
with assault and class B and D felony charges.
Keeping BSC safe from other crime
In addition to the particularly violent Coleman case, there
are a number of daily crimes that can be equally as dangerous.
Lt. Sam Lunetta, who has been with the police department for
27 years, is in charge of handling drunken drivers on campus.
He says that most drunken drivers on campus are between the
ages of 21-24, and that about 85 percent are non-students.
“We make the car stop and arrest; from there, the suspect
is taken to U.B. for chemical tests, and then brought back
to Buffalo State for booking and processing. After that, they
are sent down to Buffalo for their hearings.”
The issue of parking on campus
The parking situation at Buffalo State has been a hot issue
on campus among students, faculty and staff. Responding to
a letter, Director of Parking at BSC Jamie Riter wrote:
“The majority of staff and students park legally- lack
of space only occurs during the first few weeks of school
from 9:45 to noon. The best advice is to arrive early and
prepare to walk from the outer lots…The basic reason
for everyone either having trouble getting parking spaces
or being issued tickets is that everyone is in a rush to get
someplace- there are usually enough spaces, it’s just
a matter of convenience. Familiarizing oneself with the lots
is very useful, but many don’t make the effort,”
Riter wrote.
Riter also wrote that the rate of number of tickets issued
this year is actually slightly down in comparison to 2001
and 2002.
“Students and staff will only avoid being ticketed by
obeying the rules and regulations,” wrote Riter in regards
to the future of the parking situation.
Additional links:
police@buffalostate.edu
http://www.buffalostate.edu/pdf/
campusmap.pdf
http://www.buffalostate.edu/offices/
police/parking/
http://www.buffalostate.edu/offices/
police/about/
http://www.buffalostate.edu/offices/
police/services/
www.PAR21.org
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