Campus Safety officials are increasing patrols in the neighborhoods surrounding the University of Denver following a series of home burglaries that began in late 2008.
The break-ins have occurred at off-campus private residences that are not owned by DU. However, students live in several of the homes, which concerns University administrators.
“The area is not within our jurisdiction but there are steps we can take to assist the Denver Police Department,” says Don Enloe, director of Campus Safety. “More of our officers will patrol streets within a few blocks of the campus and notify local authorities if they see anything suspicious.”
Enloe says the University’s crime prevention officer will meet with students living off campus and provide information for safeguarding their homes and property. In addition, DU is funding a $2,000 Crimestoppers reward through the Denver Police Department.
More than 30 Campus Safety officers patrol the DU campus 24 hours a day on foot, bicycles, in patrol cars and on a recently added T3, which is a battery-powered three-wheeled patrol vehicle.
In 2008, DU scored well in a national report on safety preparedness released by Reader’s Digest. The magazine surveyed 135 universities nationwide for its article “Safe at School?” and assigned letter grades of A, B and C based on their readiness to handle on-campus threats to safety and security. Only 45 schools, including DU, received an “A” from the magazine.
The University Park neighborhood around DU has typically ranked as one of the safest in Denver.