Members of the city and university police departments addressed a group of Madison residents Thursday in the Memorial Union in an effort to increase awareness about safety and crime prevention measures.
Madison Police Central District Captain Mary Schauf spoke at the meeting and outlined some of the major crime threats students and campus-area residents face.
Schauf said some of the most common crimes committed in the downtown area are alcohol-related or easy burglaries,"" meaning home or apartment burglary cases in which the perpetrator does not have to force entry and can enter through an unlocked door or window. According to Schauf, these types of theft can be prevented with common sense and attentiveness.
""If we could just get 30 percent more of those people to lock those doors and windows now, when [burglars] go into the tower apartment building, it doesn't look like someone just trying to open a door, now they've got to kick the door or break the window. Up goes the chance of apprehension,"" Schauf said.
Schauf also stressed the importance of residents not hesitating to call the police when they see suspicious behavior.
""If you see something '¦ and it just doesn't look right, we need a call,"" she said. ""The reality is people don't call ... The time to call is when you see that person go through the window.""
Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, said while the students may have heard this message before, it is important to continue discussing safety issues. Judge said students have a lot of power in determining their personal safety.
""Its really a massive priority, something that the student population has in the past and can focus on more now, when it comes to the little things,"" he said. ""Its those personal choices that are really going to turn the tide on a lot of this.""
