By Tyler Kimmel - For the Cal Times
California University of Pennsylvania has been getting plenty of publicity lately, but not necessarily in a good way.
The university was mentioned in the news several times during the first few weeks of the semester due to multiple off-campus shootings that have raised concerns among students and community members.
Students are looking for ways to protect themselves and feel safer when they are on campus.
“I don’t like walking on campus at night anymore. It’s scary,” Taylor Gibbs, 19, said. “I don’t feel as safe as I have in the past and I don’t like it. I just don’t want to be afraid to be on campus anymore.”
On Oct. 5, Cal announced that they will be adding three more officers to the University Police department. They are also purchasing two more police cars to help patrol on campus.
This has been the school’s first major response to the off campus crimes and students are hoping it will be enough to cut back on the crime spree.
“Adding more people and cars can’t be a bad thing,” Anthony Borsuk, 20, said. “Getting more cops around and more cars should definitely help in having less crimes. I hope it helps get things under control so the school can go back to not worrying about this kind of stuff as much.”
Cal has been seen on news stations, in newspapers, and on the Internet recently due to the violence. This has been shedding negative light on the school and some suggest it has been harming its reputation.
“It’s getting annoying seeing the school on the news every week for another crime,” Borsuk said. “My parents and grandparents see it on the news and worry about me all the time. I’m tired of telling them I’m fine and that I wasn’t near the shooting. They should be worrying about me getting good grades instead me getting hurt.”
Although none of the crimes committed have actually been on campus, they have been close enough to frighten many students. Some people now view downtown California as unsafe after dark. Vulcan Village residents are also on their toes after a shooting a half mile from the complex.
“The shooting near Vulcan scared me the most,” Gibbs said. “I live up there and finding out a house was broken into that close makes me nervous. I also don’t like to go in town at night anymore. “
The borough police have vowed to “take back the town,” and they seem to be doing just that. In one weekend, officers issued 90 underage citations and are looking to continue the crackdown. They are hoping to put Cal back in the news, but on a positive note.
As a parent of a Cal U student the crime spree is very unsettling. Almost as unsettling is that the reaction to “off campus crimes by NON STUDENTS” has been to raid student safe havens such as frat parties, and private homes rented by Cal U students. I am not defending underage drinking, but it goes on every campus in the country including Brigham Young. If students can’t feel safe anywhere then what is left for them to do once they’ve completed their studies and activities? There seem to be only two options and neither are good for Cal U. Kids will go home on the weekends which hurts the school and town, or they will transfer to other schools. This ripple affect will only serve to diminish the school’s reputation even further, and runs counter to the incredible growth under Dr. Armenti.
I suggest a measured approach that is based on policing the real criminals, and real problem areas. To burst into legal places of “assembly” to give 90 underage citations to Cal U students is not a measured response and punishes the victims even further!
Respectfully submitted.
Concerned Cal U Parent
I agree with the previous e-mail. I also wonder how much money is generated for the county by the fines associated with the 90 underage citations? Underage drinking is not good, dangerous, and should be monitored but having the Cal U police force and borough police arresting students is also not good.
thank you!
I completely agree with the above emails. I think beefing up the police force is good however I think they seem to feel that “taking over the town” gives them the right to do anything they feel, not following laws. They seem to feel they can intimidate students even when students aren’t doing anything wrong. Step back Cal U and take a long hard look at whats happening in your town. In trying to create a safe place for all you have managed to hire policemen that think they can do anything they want. There are laws by which all must obey. This includes the Police Department!
In response to the email wondering how much money is generated? Someone in Cal police department is getting quite rich!!!!!
I also agree with the above comments. I am totally against underage drinking; however, why isn’t the police force out there trying to catch the drug dealers and solving the real problems. All colleges have underage drinking…Cal U will be hurting themselves by consistently giving all these underage citations…kids will be transferring to other schools.
Catching underage drinkers is asinine…its purely for something for the department to advertise as an action and to collect some fast cash to pay for the new troops and cars.
Focus on the people who decide to “creep up” on us in the dark and steal our stuff, distribute drugs throughout the campus and neighborhoods, and invade our homes and apartments.
Someone needs to realize that the real criminals are what everyone is concerned with, not a bunch of drunken teenagers goofing around.
I for one am happy about the citations. As a Calu student focusing on both athletics and academics it is obnoxious to be around students who feel the need to engage in excessively loud parties. Not only can these situations lead to aggressive and sometimes violent occurences, they inhibit those around them from enjoying rest. Lets be honest here… it is not peaceful gatherings of four or five students that is rousing police intervention, rather it is large parties that are beyond anything that could be discribed as reasonable which are getting students into hot water. If you want to criticize anything why not question why so many Calu police officers are at the gas station late at night (sometimes 3 of 4)? Are we expecting some large armed invasion? Zombie apocalypse? One might suggest that their efforts would be better spent patroling the area(s) in and around California…
I attend a community college outside of Philadelphia and am seriously considering CalU as a possible school to transfer to when I earn my associate’s. Reading this article and hearing about how unsafe the borough proper certainly outweighs the academic programs which I’m considering enrolling in at Cal.
It certainly doesn’t help Cal’s cause at all when you have a homicide that occurs on Homecoming weekend, as was the case last year.
The borough of California needs to wake up and realize that students will go elsewhere if they don’t feel safe in the community where they live.
While underage drinking is a problem nationwide as well as on the Cal U campus, it is quite honestly a part of the college experience. Honestly, if you are old enough to vote and enlist for the armed services and die for your country, you should be old enough to drink. But I digress. The real issue, the issue that puts Cal in the news week after week, and the issue that is not being addressed, is the off campus violence. Busting 90 kids for underage drinking is not going to stop the violence. Tracking down who these criminals are, and what their connection, if any, is with Cal U students is the problem. Direct your efforts towards the problem and correct it, don’t simply make your “presence known”. Defeats the purpose!
The police officers in this burough are out of control and corrupt. They sicken me. They break several laws, harrass students, and make the campus feel like a prison. Many, many people I know are transferring due to those reasons. No one has gotten arrested for any of the shootings or home invasions, yet they break into houses illegally in order to issue college students underage drinking charges and get a quick buck and nice chuckle. Keep it up Burough…
all i hear is whining and complaining about catching the real criminals; as a student at cal u, as well as somebody from outside the area, all i can say is that you concerned parents aren’t looking at the big picture here. do you think drug dealers flourish in a town where nobody does drugs? no. i hate to break it to you, but your “proud parent of an honor student” bumper sticker might not come off easily once you find out your precious johnny or amanda is the ones supplying these criminals with their funds. sure, not all of these kids are doing the drugs but it definitely goes on. the citations are great and usually where there is something illegal going on in the first place, whether it goes on at every college or not, there are other illegal things and/or clues to solving the big problem following right behind it. so maybe you should just stop whining and realize the police have to do what they have to do, even if it shatters your image of your perfect son or daughter and reveals the truth of where that money you give them goes. these guys and gals have one of the most difficult jobs (much like that of a parent) there is, so step back and give them some room.
I disagree with just about everyone here. It’s BREAKING THE LAW. They’re busting people for breaking the law. It’s not like these kids are innocently being preyed upon. Get over yourselves.
Issuing citations for underage drinking will definitely help clean up the streets…. no need to worry about the drugs or violence. In the article it states none of the crimes were committed on campus but yet those on campus are punished for enjoying the college experience? Come on now.
Honestly, and I think everyone could agree on this, I see more cop cars just sitting at stop signs now. I feel as though the police should be out patroling, not sitting waiting to rack up traffic tickets. More police vehicles to me doesn’t nessecarily mean more protection. I think they need to be less concerned about making a quick buck over something silly like not absolutely, fully stopping at a stop sign, and be more worried about violent crime protection. No intentions of being rude here, I honestly just get aggrivated watching them sit at stop signs day after day.