Students Robbed In Clear Lake Area
TIFFANY FITZPATRICK
THE SIGNAL
Three University of Houston-Clear Lake international students have been victims of a recent string of robberies in the Clear Lake area. The robberies occurred off-campus, primarily between midnight and 4 a.m. on weekdays.
A bulletin sent out in late September specifically acknowledged international students as victims, which raised concern among the community, but the robberies are part of a larger increase in local crime.
“It isn’t that our international students are being targeted specifically,” said UHCL Chief of Police Paul Willingham. “But that there have been a number of robberies in the area and some of our international students have been victims.”
Robberies and other violent crimes are acknowledged largely as crimes of opportunity by both the UHCL Police Department and Houston Police Department. Publications from both state that citizens being aware of their surroundings and taking precautions can significantly reduce these crimes.
Willingham encouraged all students to visit the UHCL Police Department’s website, www.uhcl.edu/police, and explore the various educational resources made available. These resources include a PowerPoint presentation on personal safety, a video on how to react to an active shooter, and information on requesting assistance and anonymously reporting crimes or suspicious behavior.
In addition to what individuals can do to ensure their own safety, the police department at UHCL has several programs in place to help keep the campus safe. Many programs are scheduled by the police and various university offices, but student groups may also request a presentation or training class from the police department.
UHCL Police provide safety transportation from dusk to dawn within campus borders; and the Hawk Patrol, comprised of student employees of the police department, offers safe transportation around campus from 6 to 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday.
Even with the safety precautions on campus, there is still concern over safe transportation from campus to nearby apartment complexes when students are in class or studying late. The university has a courtesy shuttle that drives between the campus and the popular apartment complexes nearby, but it does not run during the late night hours.
“It concerns me when I hear a few of my international friends tell me how they have to leave campus way past midnight because they don’t have any means of transportation,” said Carla Bradley, president of the Student Government Association. “Our campus police do a lot already, so it’s understandable if they can’t be everywhere. However, if students need a safe place to ask for help or advice, I’m sure they should be the ones to go to first. Waiting to report a crime or incident is never advisable. If international students feel intimidated to report an issue, I hope they can confide in responsible people who can direct them to the correct information.”
The robberies occurred mostly in parking lots of nearby apartment complexes and on public roads.
Several apartment complexes have safety measures in place. University police patrol University Forest Student Village, the on-campus housing at UHCL, regularly. The gated complex also has the same emergency information call boxes that are visible across the campus, and the apartments are included in the on-campus safety transportation program.
“Ultimately, it is our active and vigilant student community that deters crime by walking to class with fellow students, securing their personal belongings, keeping their doors and windows locked at all times and reporting suspicious behavior to the UHCL Police and housing staff on-call,” said Lawrance Samaranayake, general manager of University Forest.
Many other local apartment complexes have at least one courtesy officer living on the premises.
Pamela Hunt, manager at The Retreat of Clear Lake, said the complex has a police officer living on site and that every resident is screened during the application process.
“I am confident this screening process does directly relate to security concerns and have noticed that when a property decides to ‘relax’ their rental criteria and screening process, it directly affects things like security, noise complaints, drug calls, etc.,” Hunt said.
UHCL Police Department can be contacted at police@uhcl.edu and dispatch can be reached 24 hours a day at 281-283-2222.
