news-record.com

GREENSBORO — A conversation about the safety of N.C. A&T students living off campus began Monday night with a student describing her experience of a recent crime: A man running from police pushed his way into her apartment, she said, and she has been afraid ever since.

Police, property managers and officials from the city and N.C. A&T listened to the concerns of about 60 students and community members about the safety of students living off-campus. A&T Chancellor Stanley Battle and City Councilwoman Goldie Wells led the forum.

Wells said the forum was, in part, a response to students who came to a council meeting in February asking the city to do more to keep them safe.

“Students that come here and stay here for four years are part of our community,” Wells said. “Our goal is that they will feel safe.”

Students’ safety off campus came to the fore in January when a man was killed and two men were injured in shootings at Campus Courtyard apartments on consecutive weekends. Police have not made arrests in either of the Homeland Avenue crimes.

Assistant Police Chief Dwight Crotts said Monday that, on average, crime is low at student-occupied housing and the crime that does occur often involves nonstudents. In the past month, police have been called to 14 incidents at apartments mainly occupied by A&T students, Crotts said. Ten of those calls reported parking violations, he said.

Police Monday night listed initiatives designed to respond to the outcry over safety.

A&T police Chief Glenn Newell and Capt. Charles Cherry, the city police department eastern division commander, gave examples of the efforts:

• A&T police officers have assessed the safety of apartment complexes inhabited mainly by students.
• Greensboro police and A&T police are reviewing the agreement that dictates how broadly A&T officers have police authority off campus.
• Greensboro police community resource teams are trying more to stay in touch with apartment managers and residents to work on solving long-term safety issues.
• Police report loud parties or firearms discharges to property managers and encourage property managers to report the incidents to A&T so violators are punished.
• Police distributed fliers about how to report a crime and what information police will ask for when they respond to a call.

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