WEDNESDAY | 8.19.2015 | MACEANDCROWN.COM | Vol. 58, Issue 1
Welcome Back ODU!
Josh Boone | Mace & Crown
Josh Whitener News Editor Students have launched complaints over social media regarding the effectiveness of security in The District in light of the home invasion, robbery and assault of an ODU student on April 9. Security in The District has been brought into question by students and their families. The lack of timeliness of reporting crimes committed in The District has also worried some. The District is covered in ODU’s crime report because both Norfolk and ODU police departments share jurisdiction of areas immediately surrounding campus. The District’s Facebook page has 27 reviews giving the complex a one out of five stars. 24 people have given it five out of five, although very few explanations as to why are given. ODU’s expansion throughout the years has caused concern over the safety of students who reside outside of the university. As long as student housing expands into neighborhoods like Park Place and Lamberts Point, crime will still
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ODU’s Crime “District” be an issue the university must address. The Norfolk neighborhoods surrounding ODU are deemed unsafe according to Neighborhoodscout.com which reports crime rates by neighborhood statistics. The District is owned by Asset Campus Housing, a corporation based in Houston, Texas, whose website advertises that their “approach to property management is to provide responsive and professional services. We continually strive towards excellence in delivery of those services and hold that expectation with every member of our organization.” Christian Graves, The District’s property manager, declined to comment on recent crimes within the complex due to corporate policy. Several phone calls and messages to Stuart Davis, the Senior Vice President of Asset Campus Housing, were placed without any returned. A resident, who identified herself as Lauren H, expressed a strong concern about the lack of communication between the management and the residents. “When I first moved here there [were] a whole
lot of problems with the security and they don’t tell you anything about what’s happening…they don’t tell you, they don’t give you warnings or alerts,” Lauren H said. She highlighted the current state of The District by pointing out repairs needed to cameras and outside gates. She said that even the working cameras are often turned, obscuring the view. She noted one in particular inside one of the buildings’ South entrances. “This camera right here was turned back for the longest time.” Lauren H. said. The District recently purchased and installed new computers in their computer lab and study room despite faulty cameras and door locks. This has residents like Lauren seriously concerned. When reached for a comment on the date of installation and number of computers purchased, Christian Graves, property manager, refused to provide any information. “I’m still trying to figure out how come they can’t figure out who some of the [assailants] are that assaulted the [student]. They still haven’t found them. There’s no reason why they
shouldn’t… you supposedly have all these cameras,” Lauren said. “I have a love/hate relationship with it,” Ilana Davlin, junior, said. “I didn’t want to live on campus my freshman year. I kind of wanted my own space.” Davlin described her first experience moving into the complex with the idea that being separated from campus dorm life would foster more independence and confidence. Instead, she said she experienced worry and frustration over The District’s ability to provide adequate security. “There was a four bedroom available; [I] moved in, loved it and then the management changed three months after I moved in and it’s gone downhill ever since. The security’s gotten bad, the crime went from bad to worse. [Crime] was always an issue there,” Davlin said. With limited personnel, the security has become more reactionary than proactive. The trust and assurance in The District’s security has also been broken in recent years when Michael Spearman, a former District security guard, was charged with raping a resident in April of 2014.
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