Public Safety cracks down on recent auto entering theft

by Sabrina Hagler, Editor-In-Chief

A recent email sent by public safety warns students about securing their vehicles on campus. The email reports that Americus and its surrounding areas has been experiencing a rise in thefts from automobiles in the past few weeks. Officer Maurice Barron, a GSW campus police member for almost four years, sat down with the Sou’Wester to discuss the recent thefts and public safety initiatives.

Could you tell me about the thefts from automobiles?

“Individuals that we feel are from the Americus area, came on campus somewhere around four A.M. and started going through the Magnolia parking lot, pulling on car doors and seeing which ones would open. There were four vehicles that happened to be unlocked and those guys went into those vehicles that were unlocked- a majority of them were locked, thank goodness- and right now we have a video of them. But they were well-clothed so we couldn’t make a strong description. Nearby and the same day, the Americus police department had the same calls and so we’re assuming they were the same guys, so we’re joining efforts with them to identify these young men so that we can resolve the matter.”

What is the campus police doing to combat thefts from automobiles?

“We’re continuing to communicate with students through email and also during our freshman orientation. Our chief reminds them to keep their doors locked on your vehicles and rooms in the dorm to protect your property and to protect yourself as well. And we’ll continue to send out those communications to students so that they can help us in assuring their personal safety when it comes to themselves and their property. Over the last year and a half to two years, it has gotten a lot better with students securing their vehicles because we haven’t had as many incidents as we used to.”

Could you tell me about the Alertus app?

“We have had that app in place for a little over two years, and started getting out that information to incoming freshmen at orientation so that they could go ahead and download the app on their phones. But what the app does is it creates direct communication, if anybody uses that app it will send an alert to our desk computers. Chief, his office assistant, and also our office cell phones receive a notification, so if we’re not in the office or it’s the weekend, whoever needs the assistance will get help as quickly as possible. It’s for emergencies but not just for crime, we can also use the app to send out weather notifications in case there is severe weather in the area, it’s just a good emergency medium for communication for any type of alert.”

“Our main focus is to communicate to students about helping ensure their personal safety and the safety of their property. Anytime we receive information that is pertinent to students we make sure it gets out there and our office assistant does an excellent job with that. We’re here for a law enforcement presence but we’re also here for the support of our students in their academic pursuits because a safe environment is conducive to focus and learning so we’re a part of the team just as much as any other department.”

The public safety email warns students to lock their cars, ensure that windows are up, and to never leave valuables in your car. To report suspicious subjects or vehicles, call GSW public safety at (229) 931-2245.

Officer Maurice Barron

Photo by University Relations