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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1981)
emerald Vol. 83, No 48 Eugene.Oregon 97403 Tuesday, November 10,1981 Campus thieves thrive Security disturbed over rise in rip-offs By ANN PORTAL Of Die Emarald Thieves on campus seem to be taking just about anything that can be easily carried away — and some things that can't Campus security recently caught three students toting a dormitory couch across the University grounds according to Karen Riley, crime prevention specialist The students said they were taking the couch to their apartment Last week, three other students were arrested for allegedly prying an entire U S Postal Service mailbox from the pavement on the corner of East 15th Avenue and Moss Street Although statistics on whether thefts are in creasing are not yet available, the number of items reported missing already is a "serious problem,” according to Sgt Rick Allison of the Eugene Police Department Numerous" University students have been taken into custody for various thefts, although none have yet gone to trial, he says What’s being stolen? "You name it," Allison says Bikes, backpacks, purses and textbooks are the most popular items among campus crooks, followed by clothing, small change left in drawers, jewelry, wallets, and car stereos and speakers Allison says he suspects the problem is much bigger than police reports indicate, because many robberies go unreported “I think they don't want to take the time, and they think it's useless anyhow," he says But reporting crimes is important, Allison says Campus security and the Eugene police are trying to figure out robbery patterns so they can watch high crime areas, he says Also, many items are recovered, only to be auctioned off at the end of the year because no one reported them missing Thieves often discard purses or backpacks once they get the money, Allison says Dormitories, sororities and fraternities seem to be particularly susceptible to thefts Internal theft and burglars sneaking in combine to make the residence buildings "hot spots," Allison says, ad ding that the number of internal thefts in sororities and fraternities appears to be "on the rise" this year Two dormitories — McAlister and Clark — have been hit more than the other dormitories, Allison says Wallets have been taken from dorm rooms at night even while students slept in the rooms Graphic by Max DeRungs The parking lot at the corner of 15th Avenue and Moss Street — isolated and plagued by poor visibility because of its rolling contour — is another popular spot for thefts, he says To combat the problem, at least one Eugene police officer and two to four campus security people patrol the University grounds day and night. Allison says, and yes — the officers do catch thieves in the act Most thefts can be attributed to carelessness — not locking doors, windows and desks, or briefly leaving items in locker rooms or the library, says Riley Not all thefts have been crimes of opportunity, however Allison says a thief who recently stole a $1.000 video recorder from the fine arts building first had to break a basement window and kick a door open "They're taking everything not nailed down " Common sense stops thefts Forget about guns and guard dogs The easiest ways to prevent theft are just common sense — applied consistently and frequently In addition to the campus security creed — lock everything and abandon nothing — Sgt Rick Allison points out other ways for students to slow down campus thefts • Check on bikes and cars more than once a week if they're not being used It's hard to catch thieves with a week's head start, Allison says, and some bikes have been recovered that the owners didn't even know were missing • If stereos and citizens band radios can't be removed from a car, at least cover or disguise them, Allison says Portable ster eos and CBs that can be kept in the home when not in use are the safest, he says • Mark property, but don’t use a social security number, Allison says Social security numbers are confidential and police can't trace property using them Students should use either an Oregon Driver's License number, or an identification number from the state motor vehicle office, he says Campus security and the Eugene Police Department both provide engravers • Put your name in textbooks — but only if you intend to stay in the course No refunds will be given on new books with names written in them, although names in used books won't hurt resale value, says Otto Henrickson, manager of the University book store • Report thefts, or anything that looks suspicious Campus security acts on all information, even if it's anonymous, Allison says "We need as specific informa tion as we can get," he says He suggests students call campus security, 686-5444, before the Eugene Police Department, but asks victims to “just call somewhere — either will get a response " Enrollment of blacks drops Low total falls even further By JULIE KURILO Of the Emerald Enrollment of black students at the University has fallen by nearly 50 percent in the last five years, from over 300 black students in 1976-77 to an estimated 175 blacks enrolled this year, according to Black Student Union figures Of this estimate, 55 black students were recru'ted by the University as athletes this year, or almost 30 percent Graduation rates mirror the decline Forty degrees were awarded to blacks out of a total 3,955 in 1976-77, and 19 were awarded out of last year's 3,476 Many factors are involved in the decrease, but economic conditions act as a main force to push numbers down "Both federal funds and national support needed for recruiting have been and are coninuing to dwindle,” says Gary Kim, coordinator of the Council of Minority Education. "Scholarships, student loans, and financial aid are al! being cut back." The council, which recruits in urban areas such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, is adjusting to a 12 percent-budget cut. This will mean allocating less money to recruiting and tutoring of minority students, Kim says. However, the barrier made by financial aid cut backs is penetrable, says Louis Merrick, coordinator for Special Programs at the Office of Academic Affairs. "Theoretically, the financial aid will be going to the neediest — if blacks are the neediest they will get it, if not they won’t," he says Reduced out-of-state recruiting programs also have affected black enrollment figures, Merrick says. He says he knows of at least 40 councils that work with minorities in California, yet without the financing, recruiters cannot reach the students involved One visit per year is not sufficient, he says. “You can't go just one day and say hey, come to U of O,' you've got to get inside the recruiting cycle, be known by name in all these councils, and that takes money the University does not have " Part of the large decrease may be due to poor. recruitment in the past, Kim suggests Students were brought from inner-city schools high in black populaion but low in academic excellence, he says In what Kim calls a “revolving door” effect, black students arrived without the skills needed to keep up with university academics, and after one or two terms students would leave discouraged The average white student scores 980 points on the SAT test The average black scores 200 points lower, Merrick says But he does not consider this to be the core problem “The problem lies in counseling the black high school student to know what to expect, and the exis tance of programs available to the student at the institution,” he says, recalling a situation which demonstrated the success of counseling programs Through a special program, Merrick sent a student who had attended an inner-city school to the Universtiy of California “This student had a zero GPA out of a high school in Watts, and then graduated from the University of California and was admitted to Reed for his graduate work with a 3 8 GPA,” he says Much of the low black enrollment is due to the fact that less than 2 percent of the total Oregon population is black, Merrick says. The history of Oregon includes exclusionary laws that prohibited blacks from residing in the state, and local Sundown Laws that prohibited blacks from being in the city after dark. “The low population of blacks in Oregon tends to be directly related to the state's efforts historically to intimidate blacks who may want to live in the state,” he says. “These laws are typical symbols of this activity.” "There is a problem with racism in Oregon today," Merrick says A survey conducted by Merrick last year Continued on Page 3
