If you're ever in trouble, seek out one of these

Public Safety has informed us that several new stores in the Morningside Heights area have been added as Safe Havens. As you may know, Safe Havens are essentially places to run when you feel like you are in trouble—this means the business owners have agreed to provide shelter and safety to students in danger while they notify the proper authorities. Look for the red lion decal to identify them, and never hesitate to duck inside one if you feel threatened out on the street.

Image via Public Safety

Find the full list of new locations below

Just moments ago, a tipster divulged that Public Safety has taken covert and highly controversial new surveillance measures. Implanted on the heavily-trafficked inner doors to what our tipster reveals is called “Brogan” (Broadway/Hogan), this new security system monitors all potentially dangerously displays of bro-ing out. These include, but are not limited to, smuggling 30-racks of Natty-light and Costco-sized containers of Creatine into dorm rooms, wearing any combination of sweatpant-sweatshirt to a class or meal, fist pumping, dougie-ing, and speaking loudly about being the “most jacked dude” in Mel’s/Cannon’s the night prior to aforementioned assertion.

Stare into the unblinking abyss, bros. There’s nowhere left to hide.

Big BROther is watching you.

At 10:40 am, Antonio Gonzalez, Associate Director of Barnard College Public Safety, sent out this security alert regarding Saturday’s Grand Larceny committed against a Barnard student:

On Saturday, January 21, 2012 at approximately 12:45pm a Barnard
College student was the victim of a Grand Larceny: Bag Snatch on
Broadway and West 111 Street. The student was walking North on the
West Side of Broadway when they were approached from behind by the
perpetrator who grabbed her bag off her shoulder and fled East towards
Amsterdam Ave. The victim was alone and listening to music on her
IPhone at the time. The Description of the perpetrator is as follows:

Suspect: Male/White/6′/Blond Hair/Wearing a Black Jacket/ Blue Jeans/
No Further Description.

Please be cognizant of your property and your surroundings at all
times. If you observe anyone acting in a suspicious manner or you
feel threatened in any way call Barnard Public Safety at 212-854-3362
or the NYPD by dialing 911.

Antonio Gonzalez
Associate Director
Barnard College Public Safety
212-854-3362

 

Bwog received a email from Dean Terry Martinez about Columbia Public Safety’s successful apprehension of a bike theft suspect. After receiving a tip from a CC student on November 22nd, Public Safety followed up and managed to arrest the suspect for “attempted bike larceny, criminal mischief, and possession of burglary tools.” In light of the recent crime around campus, even this small victory feels particularly comforting. Check out the full security update below:

Please be advised that on November 22, 2011 Columbia University Public Safety received a tip from a CC student regarding suspicious activity in a potential bike theft. As a result, Public Safety Officers were able to apprehend the suspect and NYPD arrived on the scene to arrest him for attempted bike larceny, criminal mischief, and possession of burglary tools. A special thanks to the student for alerting the authorities.

As always, if you have any information about the recent crimes or recall any unusual activity, please do not hesitate to call Public Safety at 212-854-5555 (4-5555). Thank you in advance for partnering with us to ensure the safety of our community.

Terry Martinez
Dean of Community Development
and Multicultural Affairs/
Associate Dean of Student Affairs

Public Safety: they always seem to be there to shut down improv shows and boot you off the lawns, but never when you’re walking home bleary-eyed from Butler at 3am. As if you didn’t already have to reassure your parents of your safety in the big bad city, now you can go home for Thanksgiving dinner and admit that, yes, some very scary crimes have occurred recently. Yesterday, Public Safety published a security alert to their website about a suspect who followed a student into Ruggles before demanding the victim’s iPhone. Today Dean Martinez emailed this alert to all students and attached a two page statement from James McShane, Vice President of Public Safety. He discusses the spike in crime, especially along 114th St, the measures Public Safety is taking in response, and how security has improved over the past semester. Here’s the shorter version:

• More security on West 114th: Public Safety has deployed another patrol vehicle and security officer to patrol the street on foot “during the evening hours.” Changes will be in effect “begin[ning] at 4 pm and will continue until 3 am each night.” Note that the most recent crime occurred after the additional vehicle was deployed, but Public Safety did not specify if that vehicle was on patrol at the time of the crime.
• NYPD: Public Safety is working with the NYPD to bring “additional personnel, both uniformed and plain clothes, to help increase security in the 114th street area.” No word yet on what exactly this entails or the extent of this partnership.
• Security cameras: Currently, Public Safety has 24 hour surveillance of all residence halls where “all students and visitors are screened” along with 24-hour video surviellance. Yet despite this, the perpetrator was able to enter Ruggles on Monday, a building where the security guard is actually far away from the main entrance.
• Increased patrol on campus: Due to the crimes, security is being bolstered all over campus. The guards at the main gates on 116th and Broadway and Amsterdam are both staffed 24 hours, 7 days a week, together with “foot and motorized patrols.”
• Public Safety emphasizes that there are two 24-hour emergency operation centers, one on each campus. For the Morningside campuses, in event of an emergency, call 212-854-5555. For non-emergencies, call 212-854-2797. You can also reach Public Safety at any of the emergency call boxes on campus—all are connected to Public Safety 24/7.
• If you’re anywhere between 108th and 122nd between 7 pm and 3 am, you can call 212-854-SAFE to request a foot escort, or ride Columbia’s evening shuttle, which runs from 6 pm to 4 am.

Check out McShane’s full message after the jump

While the NYPD is stationed outside Barnard monitoring a student meeting in the Diana, crime continues unabated on 114th St. Public Safety published a new security alert to their website tonight detailing an attempted robbery that reads much like last week’s. The descriptions of the respective suspects’ methods and appearances are virtually identical. According to the latest alert, a male suspect accosted a student for an iPhone, but fled when he learned the victim didn’t have one. Before the attempted robbery, he was observed following a student into Ruggles, though he left immediately.

It is unclear why many students have yet to receive the alert by email, and Bwog has emailed Dean Martinez for clarification. By our count, that’s the fourth security alert for a crime committed on 114th street since the beginning of the semester. Oy, this is ridiculous.

The suspect is described as “Male/black/30/5’8/150lbs/wearing a black leather jacket, dark ski cap, blue jeans, dark shoes, a dark shirt or sweater with a white tee shirt underneath” and you are urged to call 212-678-1351 if you have any information. Full alert with grainy photo below.

Read more…

Barnard’s campus has been fortified! Fearing unrest related to the Barnard General Assembly planned for this evening by Occupy Columbia, extraordinary security measures are currently being enforced. Barnard Hall has been closed, there is an NYPD car and police barricades in front of the 117th street gate, and Public Safety officers are checking IDs at the gate to make sure the only people allowed into Barnard’s campus are those with Barnard (or Columbia) IDs. There’s also a tent a few feet away from the gates where Barnard students can sign in guests, as they would into their dorms. But if you don’t have a Barnard ID and you’re not signed in by a Barnard student, you’re not allowed in. Even Barnard students walking around on their own campus attract suspicion. One Bwogger reports that while idly standing under the Sulzberger awning, a Public Safety officer approached her, demanding to know what she was doing.

The Occupiers are going ahead with their meeting, and are currently holding a General Assembly in the basement of the Diana. According to organizers, they initially planned to hold a protest General Assembly in front of Barnard Hall, but Public Safety informed them that demonstrations are not allowed in front of the building. They moved to the Diana, where Public Safety officers checked their IDs once again. Public Safety officers and Barnard administrators are lingering just outside the meeting space, where protesters are reportedly discussing Barnard’s elimination of part-time enrollment, Barnard’s mandatory meal plans, tenure and benefits for adjunct faculty, and police harassment.

Last night we received the following tip from a concerned student:

Today, a friend and I (both Barnard students), were strolling in Morningside Park at 6h00pm. We heard three shots fired. It was followed by a bunch of guys yelling and we saw a group of guys run away. We weren’t in the exact vicinity but it took place closer to Manhattan ave. Two minutes later, a bunch of police and ambulance arrived. I have no idea if someone did or did not get hurt.

Bwog confirmed with Public Safety that only one shot was fired, no one was hurt, and no motive was established. One suspect has been arrested in relation to the shooting.

Around 5:30, students received a Security Alert e-mail from Dean Terry Martinez about about a robbery on 114th. While this was supposed to be a reaction to an event that occured last night, the attached flyer reported an incident that occurred last year. Public Safety confirmed that the crime that actually occurred last night (and which should go out to students in a new email soon) was as follows:

Two Columbia students were accosted last night at 10:30pm on the stoop of ADP on 114th between Broadway and Amsterdam. Two males approached the students, threatened them with a box cutter, and demanded an iPhone before fleeing south.

Update (8:56): The correct flier has now been distributed, and can be read here.

Bicycles

Two bikes were stolen from the Wien Courtyard last Sunday between 4:11 and 4:15pm. Yesterday Public Safety sent out this alert with images of the thief. Public Safety reminds everyone to keep their bikes locked and call 212-854-4790 if they have any information about the crime.

Precious goods via wikimedia

Bwog received tips that a few moments ago, there was an arrest outside of John Jay residence hall. A man was reportedly tackled by a plainclothes cop, and subsequently more NYPD and Public Safety officers came to help with the situation. Before the apprehension, an officer shouted at a CU student, “Stop that man!” Apparently multiple bystanders chased the man, who was later handcuffed and led away. Public Safety had no comment for Bwog. No word on whether this is related to the earlier purse snatching incident, but we’ll give updates as we receive them.

Disconcerting news: about an hour ago, Ella Wagner, CC’13, witnessed a purse snatching incident by the side entrance to Butler. “I was sitting at one of the tables outside Jay when I heard a yell,” she reports. “I turned and saw a woman chasing what looked like a white guy with dreads, yelling ‘Stop, thief!’ etc.” The pair ran off through the West 114th gate. Wagner diligently called Public Safety.

“I guess they had just found out as well because I heard some commotion and they put me on hold for a couple of minutes, then listened to my story and took my information. A few minutes later I saw the woman walk by again with two men who I assume were Public Safety. It looked like she was carrying a purse, so hopefully the attempt was thwarted. Pretty scary that it happened in broad daylight and right on campus though.” Word. But it’s good to hear that Public Safety was on top of things, and kudos to Ella for being a responsible citizen. While Bwog’s in full mom mode, we remind you to keep the Public Safety emergency number in your phone: 212-854-5555.

Reporters on 112th

Yesterday, while walking down Broadway, Bwog noticed a big group of people with cameras and Public Safety officers near Book Culture. Turns out a bunch of newspaper and television reporters were staking out an apartment where IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn was supposed to be staying. DSK, as he is affectionately known by the French media, was accused earlier this week of sexually assaulting a hotel maid and yanked back his flight back to Paris while the plane was heading out to the runway. He was rotting in Rikers until yesterday, when he was finally granted a $1 million bail. The reporters gathered on 112th street told Bwog they expected him to crash with his daughter, a Columbia grad student residing in an apartment across the street from Book Culture.

While waiting, the journalists debated the facts of the case, discussed whether they could get into Rikers to see Strauss-Kahn, and harshly criticized the American press. Papers in the US have a proud tradition of publishing perp walk photos (often on their front pages), but those in France and Austria practice more discretion, withholding suspects’ last names and refusing to publish pictures of them in handcuffs. Unfortunately for the diligent newshounds, Strauss-Kahn never turned up in Morningside Heights and probably never will. Once he posts bail, he will be confined to his wife’s newly purchased Manhattan apartment. Of course, while the latest Morningside media mob may be over, we’re sure we haven’t seen the last of Columbia’s media coverage!

Update, 9:30 pm: Maybe there’s hope yet. Once the Upper East Side building where Strauss-Kahn’s wife purchased an apartment realized who their potential tenant was (and that they would be required to post armed guards outside their entrance), they yanked his lease! He found another place downtown, but it’s probably not permanent.

Public Safety just wants you to be safe. And to help you stay safe, at some point along the line (1998? 2000? You decide.) they created this handy quiz, teaching you vital “campus survival” techniques, as if we go to school in some wild jungle. But kidding aside, it does contain some valuable information. Public Safety even weighs in on dating:

Public Safety's answer? Group Date

Earlier this afternoon, NYPD officers arrested and handcuffed a man in the Lerner bookstore. Police officers on the scene declined to comment and Community Affairs at the 26th Precinct was unavailable. A Public Safety officer near the scene said that there had also been a call for help from a man being assaulted in the subway, and that he was with a female. A few minutes after the arrest, the female who had been in the subway, a high school-aged girl, was put into a police car near the gates. It is unclear at this time if the arrest and the reported assault are related.

We will keep you updated as we learn more information.