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GREENSBORO - N.C. A&T officials have begun talks with the city and owners of residential properties near campus about improving the security of students who live off campus.

But Mark Kiel, vice chancellor for university relations, said no decisions have been made about altering the jurisdiction of campus police or any other measure.

The university is in the process of collecting information and contacting various parties who share responsibility for student safety, including the owners of off-campus housing developments and Greensboro police, Kiel said.

Police, city leaders, and university officials could meet about safety issues as soon as next week, said Denise Turner, Greensboro assistant city manager.

Recent violence at off-campus apartments where A&T students live has focused attention on how to keep students safe, "but from our point of view this is something we need to be working on an ongoing basis," Kiel said.

"When we bring students to this university, no matter whether they live on campus or off campus, we have

some responsibility for their safety and security," Kiel said. "That responsibility is much easier when they're within the boundaries of campus."

About 3,200 of A&T's 10,400 students live on campus, according to the university.

Greensboro police has increased patrols in the area surrounding 805 Homeland Ave., where two men were injured and one was killed in shootings on consecutive weekends in January.

Police Chief Tim Bellamy said this week that part of the solution is likely to lie in expanding the power of campus police agencies to patrol in off-campus areas.

Kiel said that option would be considered.

"We have not had enough discussions internally to talk about expanding our role yet," Kiel said.

The Greensboro Police Department has mutual-aid agreements with both A&T and UNCG campus police. These agreements define the role different agencies can take in cases when jurisdictions could overlap.

Right now, campus police can take action off campus only when a crime occurs in their presence and while in the course of their normal duties.

By law, campus police have the authority to work on property owned by the university that employs them and on public roads that run through or are immediately adjacent to university property.

The A&T police department has 27 sworn officers and 34 nonsworn security guards.

Kiel said the university was not going to rush into any change in security policies.

"We don't want to make it worse by being hasty about this," Kiel said.

Contact Sonja Elmquist at 373-7090 or sonja.elmquist@news-record.com