CityTimes ✗
www.sdcity.edu/citytimes
Volume 59, Issue 9
City Choice ’05
Coverage of the upcoming student government elections News, page 5
Serving the San Diego City College community since 1945
April 5-18, 2005
College to phase in new ID numbers Removal of Social Security numbers scheduled for 2007
and aggravated assault have risen dramatically since early 2003.
By Cindy J. Wimer Almost 10 million Americans fell victim to identity theft last year and one out of 10 victims were from California. The state of California passed a law in 2001 that bans businesses from publicly displaying Social Security numbers or from printing them on ID cards and badges. This is why Social Security numbers are not printed on student ID cards. However, City College is still using Social Security numbers as student ID numbers. Any business conducted on campus, from making an appointment at the counseling office to returning items at the book store requires students to give their student ID/SSN. According to Dr. Larry Brown, vice president of student services, City will be changing this policy when the new computer software “Datatel” is implemented in about two years. Currently, if a student has issues with using their SSN, they can go to the admissions office and get a personal ID number to use instead. “City College has taken Social Security numbers off the official attendance rosters and drop sheets” in an effort to protect students,” Brown said. “We have firewalls in place
See VILLAGE, Page 2
See NUMBERS, Page 6
officer on patrol City College police officer Steve Tashoff looks out over the campus from the parking structure below the Learning Resource Center on March 27. City College police officers serve and protect the campus and students 24 hours a day, every day of the year. See Page 8 for more.
East Village crime rises despite improvements More ‘eyes and ears’ in the community have helped, however, San Diego police officer says
By Shane Crumrine In 2003, the East Village began a transformation that many in San Diego have never seen before. Now that the dust has settled, residents and people associated with the neighborhood can reflect and compare the redeveloped area to the years prior. Many of the crimes in the East Village are on the rise. While there have not been dramatic increases in all crimes, most are the highest they have been in the past four years, according to the statistical breakdown from the San Diego Police Department’s Web site. With theft and total property damage making the biggest jumps in the past two
EyeOnEastVillage An occasional series on San Diego’s up-and-coming community, of which San Diego City College is a member
years, major violent crimes have not been as bad as the areas broader history. “I was in this area 23 years ago as a patrol officer and the difference is night and day,” Lt. Ray Shay of the San Diego Police Department said. “From the level of violence and the level of crime that was occurring 23 years ago, or 10 years ago, or five years ago, it has definitely improved the area because there’s a lot more eyes and ears of the public living in that area and working in that area that are able to report
Photo by Mike Sullivan A construction worker stands at one of many of East Village’s projects near the new Petco Park baseball stadium. crime and thus we are able to respond more effectively to it” Shay said. Even with the improvements, however, vehicle theft