On April 15 at around 4 a.m., a student was robbed by 3 individuals in West Parking Lot off of Seward Place, according to an email sent to the campus community. The assailants did not appear to be armed, and the student was not injured. The assailants drove away following the incident, and Union’s Campus Safety and Schenectady Police Officers were quickly at the scene following the incident.
“We are actively investigating the incident with the Schenectady Police Department. We have no indication or belief at this time that there is an ongoing threat to the community,” Tom Constantine, the Director of Campus Safety, told the Concordiensis.
Constantine also reassured the campus community in a campus-wide email: “Nothing is more important than the safety of our community members and campus guests, and we are taking steps to minimize the risk of similar incidents in the future,” Constantine said.
“Both Campus Safety and the Schenectady Police will increase patrols on and around the campus starting [April 15], with an emphasis on having a heightened presence during the evening and overnight hours. And although this incident occurred in a well-lighted area with working surveillance cameras, we are, as a precaution, double-checking lighting and cameras around campus to ensure they are all operational.”
Since the beginning of this academic year, 13 other incidents of theft have occured on campus, according to Union’s Crime and Fire Log obtained by the Concordiensis. However, this was the first time that Union’s Campus Safety department had sent a campus-wide email discussing an incident this academic year.
Constantine said this instance was different because it was a robbery and not a theft. “In this instance, we felt it was important to share because when a robbery is committed, [where] someone uses or threatens the immediate use of physical force,” Constantine said. “A theft means taking someone’s property but does not involve the use of force. We may only send a campus-wide email if there is a pattern of behavior in the thefts.”
Tom Constantine, Director of Campus Safety, also sent safety tips to the campus community to “minimize the risk of a crime occurring.”
If a student feels like they are in danger or would like a campus safety escort, they can use “blue light” pillars around campus to call Campus Safety. “When an individual presses the alarm button, a dispatcher is automatically notified of your location and can keep in contact with you until an officer arrives at the scene. The boxes also contain a security camera with enhanced video storage and archiving,” Constantine said.
Students are also able to schedule RESIST safety classes with Campus Security, which cover situational awareness and an introduction to self defense. Students can email [email protected] to schedule a class.
This article was originally published in the print edition of Concordiensis on April 20, 2023.
