Security on Milligan’s Campus
By Sarah Underwood Photo by: Jonathan Thomas
An email sent out to all students on Oct. 25 from Vice President for Student Development, Mark Fox, reminded students to “lock your car, office, and dorm rooms when you leave them.”
This email was prompted by a report from sophomore Anna Dukart whose car got broken into. Her boyfriend’s wallet and her iPod cord were stolen. Her car had also been rummaged through and objects in the car were out of place.
“It could’ve been a lot worse,” Dukart said. “You wouldn’t think about this happening on our campus; but it happened in broad daylight.”
Dukart also said having her car rummaged through makes her “a little uncomfortable when I’m walking through the parking lot at night.”
Although Milligan does not have a security guard on site 24 hours, several emergency telephones on campus connect students to the Elizabethton Police Department when pressed.
Major Greg Workman of the EPD says that although two reports of larceny (theft from dorm rooms, cars, etc.) have been recorded since January, over 47 calls have been made to the police station.
“A lot of people just hit the emergency button for advice, like for directions,” Workman said.
Considering last year, the number of reports of larceny from Milligan’s campus is low, so students should not be concerned yet.
Senior Ryan Evans, a member of the Residential Life program, said how safe he’s felt throughout his four years on campus has pretty much remained the same.
“There’s really not a lot that’s happened,” Evans said. “I mean something random like this happens every year, but it’s not wide-scale.”
However, according to an annual report done by Milligan College “in accordance with the Tennessee College and University Security Information Act of 1989 and the Federal Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990,” reported acts of larceny have increased over the years.
This reports shows that eight complaints of larceny were recorded during the 2011 year. This is the largest number reported since 2000 (which reported 11 counts of larceny.)
Along with the protection Milligan’s security guards offer on campus, Evans has jokingly offered his personal protection against offenders.
“If anyone gets attacked, I will personally punch your attacker in the face.”
For further info concerning safety and security on campus, view the link below.
http://www.milligan.edu/community/pdf/SecurityandCrimeReport.pdf
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