Coventry University has a full-time dedicated duo helping to raise the profile of crime prevention on campus as part of a regional initiative aiming to create crime-free campuses across the West Midlands.
Police University Liaison Officer Laura Dumbleton has been seconded from West Midlands Police to take up the full-time role on Coventry University’s campus. Laura will be working with Community Support Officer Lyndon Clarke on helping to raise awareness across the university.
Laura and Lyndon will be working with the University’s Protection Service to make sure that staff and students know where to turn if they have any issues relating to crime. Laura said: “Having a full-time presence on campus is all about raising awareness and ensuring that staff and students not only feel safe, but also know who to approach if they need advice.” Laura and Lyndon have a base office in the university’s Richard Crossman Building but will also be touring the campus meeting staff and students and monitoring any potential problems. They also have information on safety issues and personal attack alarms which are available to staff and students. Laura continued: ‘Coventry University has a very diverse student population and it is essential that we are accessible to UK students, but also international students who may be living in a large, unfamiliar city for the first time in their lives. Lyndon and I will be working very proactively to ensure that students find us approachable and that they can have fun at University, as well as being safety conscious.”
Norman Langford, University Protection Manager said: “The University has been liaising very closely with West Midlands Police for a number of years on the development of crime reduction initiatives. The secondment of Laura and Lyndon will undoubtedly go a long way towards maintaining a safe and secure campus for our students and staff.”
At the start of new term Coventry University and West Midlands Police worked to promote student safety and raise the profile of crime prevention. University Protection Officers and members of the force were on hand during Freshers’ Week to provide students with panic alarms, property-marking pens and Freshers’ packs filled with a wide range of leaflets bearing a crime prevention message.
This is the third year that West Midlands Police, worked in partnership with the University, in an attempt to address the issue of student safety, a problem throughout the country. Steve Mills, a Coventry University geography graduate, is the Crime Reduction Officer for the area, with a brief to reduce crime amongst students, whilst raising awareness at the same time. Darren Knight, Senior Protection Officer at Coventry University said: ‘Crime prevention on campus is something we work very hard at. As well as providing students with equipment and information during Freshers’ Week we also visit every University owned and managed house, as well as all halls of residence to talk to the students about crime prevention. The feedback we receive from the students is very positive and they value the personal attention that we provide to them. For many students it is the first time away from home, the first time in a big city and for some it is their first time in this country. Hopefully these efforts we are making will both provide the new students with some practical advice on crime prevention and also welcome them in a friendly manner to the city.”
