Filed Under: President's Post, Featured Articles

Dear Colleagues,

I wanted to give you a brief recap of the efforts we are putting toward with the City of Murfreesboro to address our shared concerns about the uptick in violent crimes in off-campus apartments. We’re working to put all of these efforts into effect by July:

We want to extend the reach of MTSU Police. We are working with the City on an agreement between the City/MPD and MTSU/MTSU Police that would allow for our department to expand its reach and engagement in areas outside of campus as needed. We hope to have this prepared and signed by July. 

We will offer to inspect off-campus apartments. MTSU police officers will be made available to inspect security measures and practices in place at apartment complexes. Facilities that meet certain such criteria and implement the city’s recommended best practices for safety would be eligible for a special emblem that could be displayed to prospective tenants.

We will create a joint digital site on off-campus crime. We are working with the City to develop an easy-to-read online site of complexes so that prospective students and parents can quickly see how many police calls and violent crimes have been recorded at a complex on a quarterly and annual basis. The site will include other information, including which complexes have the safety emblem and links to digital maps, now already available through CrimeMapping.com, that show reported incidents by area. 

We will more strongly enforce our existing standards for off-campus behavior. We will remind and reinforce to students that the Code of Conduct can apply to off-campus behavior. Local law enforcement will have the option to refer cases to the university’s Office of Judicial Affairs and Mediation Services for review. The City-MTSU team is working this summer on how to share this information quickly.

We have made campus safety a top priority. The latest campus crime statistics from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation show drops in most major categories. We employ 44 full-time police officers, five full-time dispatchers and about 20 part-time student workers. It operates around the clock to protect the 500-plus-acre university campus. 

And we have invested in campus safety. MTSU uses many proactive and preventive actions to reduce crime. These actions include 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.

I’d like to take this opportunity to remind our community about Raider Patrol, a component of the MTSU Police Department consists of students performing duties and functions as non-sworn uniformed personnel. Raider Patrol members provide safety escorts for our campus community upon request through our Communications Center at (615) 898-2424 (you can just dial 2424 from campus phones). Raider Patrol personnel also check and secure doors and windows of University buildings, as well as assist and support the University Police Department with parking for events and other special assignments as needed.

You can find out about other campus safety services and resources by going to our Police website: http://mtsu.edu/police

Unfortunately, despite all these efforts, no one can guarantee that any area, on or off campus, will be free of crime. All we can do is to continue our focus, and vigorously support the City’s work, and remain vigilant.

I will join several MTSU administrators in meeting with Mayor Shane McFarland and his team this week to advance our shared priorities. I will also join the mayor in a session with apartment complex owners and managers. I’ll share information from those sessions.

 

Sincerely,

Sidney A. McPhee

President