Brooke Kelly and
De’Arbreya Lee
Staff Writers
Some Jackson State University students who live at locations near the campus such as the Palisades Apartments on Valley Street have become victims of robbery, burglary, and car vandalism.
Since the apartment complex is not a campus facility, crimes commited there fall under the jurisdiction of the Jackson Police Department (JPD).
Sgt. Thomas Albright with the JSU Department of Public Safety Crime Prevention Unit, said if a crime happens at the Palisades, “We [will] get involved because you all are our students, but JPD will primarily take control of that situation because it is considered off campus.”
JPD Public Information Officer Colendula Green gave information about the crimes that she and her team have dealt with in the Palisades in recent months.
“There have been three reports of auto burglaries and two reports of vandalism/malicious acts as of January 2011 to now,” said Green.
Vernitta Wilson, a senior mass communications major from East St. Louis, Ill., has had her purse snatched and her car keyed while visiting the Palisades on two separate occasions.
When she got her purse snatched, she was approaching the Palisades from Utica Street, adjacent to Valley Street where the Palisades is located. People visiting the Palisades must park on Utica Street and Valley Street because visitors cannot park inside the Palisades. While walking towards the Palisades, a man asked her for her phone number, but after Wilson did not give it to him, he snatched her purse, got into a car with a male passenger and kids in the backseat, and fled the scene.
Wilson memorized the license plate of the vehicle the suspect drove off in, and this helped police find him and her purse. Wilson she got her belongings back, but everyone isn’t as fortunate.
Amaris Myles, a sophomore mass communications major from Atlanta, Ga., has lived in the Palisades for one semester, but knows at least three students who have become victims of crime at the Palisades.
“I had a friend whose windows were busted out. Another friend had his tires slashed. I have a friend girl who they [robbers] tried to rob at gun point last semester. Last spring, another friend was robbed at gun point. [Robbers] told her to give them her purse, phone, and car keys,” said Myles.
According to Myles, one of the persons was robbed after parking by the law firm diagonally across from the Palisades on Valley Street. This victim got none of her possessions back.
According to Myles, when the student questioned the Palisades security guard on duty about security in the area, her friend was told, “It’s my job to look this way, not that way.”
Both Wilson and Myles feel that there needs to be more patrolling and tighter security at and near the Palisades.
“People from the [Washington] Addition [neighborhood] jump the fence just to get in,” said Myles. “If it is night time, I will not walk by myself,” she continued.
Myles also occasionally asks Palisades’s security to walk her from building to building if she is alone.
Officer Green explained the procedure when faced with crimes such as these.
“Do not get in the car. Stand by it but do not touch it,” said Green. Green explains that when a victim touches his/her car, evidence can become contaminated, making it hard to find the criminal’s fingerprints.
“The best thing to do is to call the police and wait for them to handle it,” said the JPD officer. She urges those who may face these issues to take pictures of the crime scene and ask if anyone around witnessed the crime. She added that an affidavit form should be signed as well.
“When a car is vandalized, you can ask for your vehicle to be dusted for prints, which will then be sent to the lab,” stated Green.
If the victim can identify the person by first name and last name, a report could be filed for further investigation and a description of the criminal by the victim or witnesses is also helpful.
“Everybody needs to look out for everyone,” said Green.
Green also explained some misconceptions of victims and the responses of police.
“A lot of people don’t like to call the police because they feel that we will not treat their case with the same care as other cases of criminal acts,” the officer stated. “We urge those citizens to call the police because a criminal act has been committed and we want to respond to those calls.”
Green also gave tips that may help prevent these types of crimes:
• Keep valuables out of plain view or out of the car;
• Park in well lit areas;
• Tuck your side view mirrors in;
• Invest in a steering wheel and rim lock.
Efforts to contact the management and security office at the Palisades were unsuccessful.
