by Martin Baker | Feb 13, 2019 | News Slider
The majority of the calls Lipscomb Security receives are for locking and unlocking building doors or jump-starting students’ cars, but that’s not the limit to what the team is prepared to handle. Assistant Directory of Security Patrick Cameron said the staff tries to prepare for as much as it can since the scope of its duties can be broad. “Just look at tonight — you never know what’s going to happen,” Cameron said. “We spent a fair amount of time at the Student Activities Center with a kid with a pretty bad break of his ankle, and later on we’re dealing with a tree that’s blocking Granny White.” The staff carries out training at the Nashville Armory, where the team goes over different crisis scenarios such as bomb threats or active shooters on campus. All the officers are certified in CPR and receive defense training with mace spray and a baton, and several armed officers receive gun safety training and have carry permits. Cameron added that the one area they all agree needs improvement, however, is manpower. Lipscomb has fewer than 20 officers on staff, and shifts need to be covered 24/7. But in the end, the lack of manpower primarily comes down to funding. “We are always looking for ways to improve,” Cameron said. “Our No. 1 priority is to increase manpower combined with technology available to supplement manpower.” These technologies are what he calls “force multipliers,” a technology that will multiply the amount of work a single officer is able to do. One of the multipliers they’d like to incorporate is smart-cameras — cameras that use data...
by Anna McClure | Apr 4, 2015 | News Slider
Lipscomb maintains a good reputation for being a safe environment with a low crime rate. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s 2014 crime on campus report show this to be the case, with the number of reported burglaries and thefts decreasing compared to previous years. In 2014, there were 13 reported larcenies/thefts, while in 2013, there were 52 and in 2012, there were 29. Assistant Director of Campus Security Patrick Cameron said Lipscomb is much different than other schools in the area when it comes to crime. “Lipscomb is truly blessed in regards to crime and is significantly lower than most schools in Tennessee,” Cameron said. “Also, the incidents we do have are property-related crimes instead of violent crimes.” But the type of crime that was reported this year can be prevented. Cameron said students can help prevent property crimes by marking their property so it is easily identifiable, never leaving valuables unattended and keeping their doors locked in the dorm when they leave or are sleeping. “Although I do not think Lipscomb Students have anything to worry about in terms of crime, I do think students, including myself, need to be more aware of how we secure our property, because even in a place as safe as Lipscomb there are people who will do bad things,” freshman Alec McDowell said. The report stated that incidents of burglary decreased by 34.1 percent from 2013 to 2014. The report also showed that crime reported by Tennessee colleges and universities overall decreased by 6.3 percent from 2013 to 2014, but reported fraud offenses increased 19 percent over the 2013 study. However, the...
by Janice Ng | Mar 13, 2015 | News Slider
Chad Johnson and Brianna Langley lead this week’s Lumination News, giving the latest Lipscomb news. Safety for students is a top priority at Lipscomb. Recently, a call box located in the west garage of Allen Arena was found to be out of order. Mignonne Bryant has more on how campus security is continuing to ensure safety for students. In this week’s show, reporter Thomas Jones also provides a recap for Singarama, a strong Lipscomb tradition. Watch for weather updates in your spring break mission trip destination with Leslie Newman. Mignonne Bryant provides a mix of world news headlines and Colleen Casner delivers recent Hollywood buzz. Do you have story ideas? An event you want us to cover? Email our News Director at...
by Erin Turner | Oct 15, 2014 | News Slider
Unlocked doors are an invitation to thieves. But this doesn’t stop Lipscomb students from leaving their doors unlocked. “I’m too lazy to get my keys out and unlock my door every time I need to,” junior Dee Baddley said. “It’s an inconvenience.” 34 cases of burglary occurred in 2013, 10 of which were in on-campus student housing facilities. “We live in a great environment here at Lipscomb,” said Lipscomb Assistant Director of Campus Security Patrick Cameron. “We are in a good neighborhood, we have good people, and so it is very easy to feel safe and to leave your doors open and unlocked.” Cameron said that while it does feel great to be on a safe campus, it only takes one second for anyone to walk in and grab whatever is out if the door is left open. “We strongly encourage — even if you are going to be down the hall — if you can’t see your door, you need to lock it. “If you’re going to the restroom you need to lock it, if you’re going to a shower, you need to take your keys with you and lock it,” Cameron said. Because several of the burglaries occurred during hours of the night, students are highly encouraged to lock their dorm doors, especially while they sleep. In 2012, there were only six cases of burglaries, and in 2011 there were 29 cases. As the number of cases has increased over the last 3 years, students should not only lock their doors but also be aware of who is coming in their dorm. Students should also be aware...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Sep 19, 2013 | News Slider
Since the beginning of the semester, there have been three occasions of early morning money thefts in High Rise that occurred in unlocked rooms. “The community that encroaches on us isn’t necessarily the most favorable, and a good example of that is the High Rise theft,” said Jim Humphrey, the Director of Campus Security. To Humphrey, dealing with theft at school makes dorm life uncomfortable, and it forces students to take precautionary measures. Humphrey said that the rooms were occupied when their money was stolen. “You assume everybody in your dorm-space is like you and they’re going to be respectful of what’s yours. You’re respectful of what’s theirs, but sometimes, that’s not the case. It could be someone within the dorm, or it could be someone from the outside. “Most of the crimes that happen on campus – a fair portion of those are from someone off campus, but they look like a student. They just see an opportunity, take it and leave.” Whoever the thief is, Humphrey explained, he/she has plenty of practice in theft. Going into occupied rooms a few hours before the occupants wake up takes “boldness” and the thief is ‘not worried about being caught” and “they are going to do whatever it is they want to do, regardless if someone’s there or not.” Humphrey’s biggest fear is what happens if a student wakes up while they are being robbed. “In those situations, the majority of the time, if someone wakes up, the thief is going to leave as quick as possible because they don’t want to get caught. As soon as a person is able...
