UALR Students and Security Concerns: Perception or Reality?

"He called me over the microphone told me to get out of the road," said UALR Kristopher Smith, getting a firsthand glimpse at campus police.

"He pulled me over for j-walking," he added. 

He's just not sure it was an officer's time well-spent.

"We have too many problems other than worrying about jay walking. Robberies going on everyday, folks cars getting broken into," he said.

Smith is not the only campus security critic.

"Safety on campus is not good at all," said junio Asia Smith

"Especially some of the females I talked to they're scared to walk around campus," said student Casey Lane.

"We still think our track record is pretty good," said Vice Chancellor of Finance Administration Bob Adams.

The university contends statistically, the rate of crimes on campus isn't outrageous.

"That doesn't mean we aren't going to continue to be vigilant and really work on it," Adams added.

But, the growing perception of UALR among students and the public is a campus that's crime-ridden.

"Seventy-five percent its safe, but the other strong 25 percent it's not," Smith said.

"I know a girl last year who actually transferred because she didn't feel safe," Lane said.

One suggestions students have, a bigger police and security presence between buildings.

"I actually don't see them walking around campus," he added.

"I don't see any security guards on campus at all and if I don't see it -- I don't feel protected," Smith agreed.

When it comes to perception -- and protection -- that's something the University will consider to combat crime.

"That can be as much of a deterrent as anything we could do is visibility," Adams said. "We want the perception to be that the campus is safe, as well as it being reality."

According to Adams, Chancellor Joel Anderson has begun to create a Public Safety Committee to conduct a study examining aspects of public safety from staffing, security, and needs on campus that haven't been revised in four to five years.

That study should be a semester long analysis of the campus needs.

"We're always looking at staffing patterns, are we not staffed well enough, and that's always a part of the budget process every spring for the campus. If the campus is expanding do we need more officers?" Adams said. "We're going to continue to look at that. It's possible that we might add more security guards. They are in a uniform walking the campus or biking the campus. We'll possibly look at expanding that."

Over the past year, the college has increased its resources in public safety. The budget, increased for the 2012-2013 year by $45,000. Two police officers were added to the force, bringing the number to 25.

The college also has nine security guards, but it is authorized to expand to 13 if needed.