Nov 26, 2007 9:58 pm US/Central
U Of C President Working To Improve Campus Safety
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
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Amadou Cisse was shot and killed near the campus of the University of Chicago.
In the wake of the murder of a University of Chicago grad student and other violent crimes near its Hyde Park campus, the school's president has announced he will meet with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley to find ways to reduce crime in the area.
In a letter to the university community Monday, President Robert Zimmer said "we will undertake a sustained and comprehensive effort to improve campus safety."
On Nov. 19, 28-year-old Amadou Cisse was shot in the chest just steps from his home at 6130 S. Ellis Ave. Also in the early morning hours on Nov. 19, a man was chased by someone who fired a shot in his direction at 6045 S. Woodlawn Ave., and two women were robbed at 924 E. 57th St. by a man who said he had a weapon.
Among the measures announced, Zimmer wrote "police patrols had been permanently and significantly increased. Beginning today, we have established a police substation at 61st and Drexel. This substation will be staffed 24 hours a day and will provide a visible police presence at that location until May when the University of Chicago Police Department is scheduled to locate its headquarters in the new building being constructed there."
Additionally, two vans have been added to the school's SafeRide program and program hours have been expanded to 10 p.m.
Zimmer also said he is appointing a Working Group on Safety and Security composed of faculty, staff, students and community representatives to work on a range of safety issues.
"The group will review our current security efforts including policing, transportation, lighting and dissemination of information; solicit ideas for improving campus safety; and make recommendations about additional improvements we should undertake."
In addition, the school is in the process of hiring an external security firm to conduct a review of its security measures and recommend any changes, Zimmer wrote.
Chicago Police patrols have increased in the neighborhoods near campus and university police have been working closely with Chicago Police, Zimmer wrote.
"In addition, I will be meeting with Mayor Richard M. Daley to ask for his support in finding ways to further reduce crime in our community."
The university's student government, with university police, will hold two security forums, Zimmer said. The first, for students living off-campus, was Monday at 5 p.m. at the GSB Harper Center. A second will be held Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the Reynolds Club, 5706 S. University Ave., McCormick Tribune Lounge, for students living in university housing.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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