Campus Safety

Dear Campus Community Members:

Recent crimes in the neighborhoods surrounding Old Dominion University have us all justifiably anxious and apprehensive.  Over the past two weeks, I and other members of the administration have talked with as many different groups as possible - including students, staff, parents and faculty - to hear their primary concerns, get a sense of where specific changes need to occur, and seek their input on possible solutions.

Additionally, the Student Government Association sponsored two safety forums yesterday.  ODU administrators responsible for policing, campus infrastructure and emergency communications, as well as representatives from the Norfolk Police and city manager's office, were there to hear students' and parents' concerns, questions and ideas.

Deterring crime in metropolitan areas is a complex issue, but you have my assurance that Old Dominion University is working very hard to provide our students, faculty and staff a safe environment in which to learn, live and work.  I'd like to share some actions that we are already undertaking to achieve this:

• Additional Police Patrols - Both Old Dominion and Norfolk have added additional police to the areas around campus where the majority of the incidents are occurring.  These patrols include officers in marked and unmarked cars, as well as officers on bicycle and foot.
• Sheriff's Deputies - The university has contracted with the Norfolk Sheriff's Department to have deputies patrol the troubled sections around campus during the evening and early morning hours.  These efforts will start this weekend and continue until an increased ODU/Norfolk police patrolling strategy is finalized.
• Expanded Shuttle Service - We are finalizing plans to expand the university's shuttle bus service to include neighborhoods off campus where many of our students live.  This will not only offer a safe means of transit from campus to home, but it will also provide a routine patrol by shuttle drivers who have direct communications with police dispatchers.
• Safety Task Force - The university has revived a Safety Task Force that includes university officials, faculty, staff and students, Norfolk and ODU police, city representatives, landlords and civic league leaders.  The task force will be responsible for identifying safety and security problems and initiate action to address them.  Additionally, it will examine options for increasing city code enforcement in the surrounding neighborhoods, since statistics show that dirty and unmaintained neighborhoods invite criminal activity.  Several years ago the task force was charged with helping the community bring an end to a series of home robberies in the Lambert's Point neighborhood, which affected some of our students.  The group was able to identify a variety of measures landlords could take to make their rental properties safer for students - such as better locks, lighting and landscaping - and the university worked with the landlords to ensure these steps were taken.  As a result of that initiative and other recommendations by the task force, the home robberies stopped.
• Revising Emergency Communications - While the ODU Alert emergency communication system will continue to be used in circumstances when it is determined that ODU students, faculty and staff may be in imminent danger, we are revising the way information is shared through that system and adding methods whereby the community can get information and updates on campus safety.  More details will be shared when those methods are in place.
• Safety Seminars - In addition to the safety seminars we offer at the beginning of the school year, the university will add classes throughout the year to promote safety, heighten student awareness, and teach individuals how to help keep themselves and their friends safe.

In addition, we are exploring the following in conjunction with the City of Norfolk:

• Increasing lighting and installing emergency call boxes in the Highland Park and Lambert's Point areas where students live.
• Locating a Norfolk Police substation on or near the Old Dominion campus to provide a greater police presence.

I want to thank the Student Government Association and President Michelle Davis for organizing yesterday's forums and providing model leadership in the interest of student safety.  The SGA will continue to solicit feedback from students through its Web site, orgs.odu.edu/sga. 

I am also grateful for the continued support of Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim, who has pledged the full assistance of the city in this matter.

I am interested in your feedback about safety at Old Dominion University.  Please share your questions, concerns and ideas with me by e-mailing safety@odu.edu.  I will continue to communicate our progress in addressing security issues and share any additional measures we plan to implement over the coming months.

Sincerely yours,

John R. Broderick
Acting President