by Kathryn Farris | Jan 16, 2021 | News, News Slider
After last week’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, Nashville police and Lipscomb Security are remaining vigilant for planned armed protests at Nashville’s Legislative Plaza. The Federal Bureau of Investigations warned of protests in all 50 state capitols from January 16 through at least January 20. “Recent news stories have pointed to the potential for rallies surrounding the day of the inauguration, with Nashville being one of the places mentioned. There is no reason for alarm, but there is reason to be aware, as we have seen many rallies take negative turns over the last year,” said Lipscomb Security Executive Director Kyle Dickerson in an email to the student body Friday. “If you find yourself needing to move about the city, we always encourage you to remain aware of your surroundings, travel with a friend or in groups when possible, and keep your cell phone charged and with you.” Metro Police made the Metro Council aware of the specifically planned protests, in a memo shared via Twitter by Council Member Bob Mendes. The first potential protest, planned to occur Sunday, is called the “Tennessee Freedom Event”. In the memo, Police Chief John Drake shares this event is connected to a call for rallies at every state capitol in the country. Another planned protest is set to happen on Inauguration Day [Jan. 20], for what police describe as a “pro-Trump rally.” <blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>INBOX: Letter from Chief Drake to Metro Council about potential protests at the State Capitol. <br><br>Summary – no indication of imminent threat of violence, but MNPD will be monitoring. <a href=”https://t.co/sIqQ2eORJ3“>pic.twitter.com/sIqQ2eORJ3</a></p>— Bob Mendes (@mendesbob) <a href=”https://twitter.com/mendesbob/status/1348766412588908546?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw“>January 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async...
by Hannah Cron | Oct 22, 2020 | News, News Slider, Politics
Tonight, the final presidential debate between current President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden will occur just down the road from Lipscomb at Belmont University. In light of this historic event, Lipscomb’s security team has spent weeks making plans to ensure that the campus remains as safe as possible. “For the last month, we’ve really been doing some deep preparation, just getting ready for this evening because we want the campus to remain safe and we want the experience for our students and the employees and any guests that are in the area to be as smooth as possible,” said Kyle Dickerson, Executive Director of Security & Safety. The security team has also been in contact with state and federal law enforcement in regard to making preparations for the night of the debate. “We’ve been talking with the law enforcement partners that are a part of the actual event itself, which includes TBI, FBI, the secret service, just a lot of the big federal entities that are a part of it but also some local entities as well. They’ve been giving us really good information that is helping us feel really good about the evening, which is nice. What they have said is that they are expecting typical things for a debate,” said Dickerson. One of the biggest concerns ahead of the debate is the traffic congestion due to the many road closures around Belmont. “What we think is going to be a really big deal is traffic congestion for the night,” said Dickerson. “Most people don’t go to traffic congestion as their first concern for something like this,...
by Bailey Burnett | Nov 27, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Just in the past week, there have been ten thefts and two burglaries reported in the Green Hills area. Lipscomb security has stepped up for the holidays knowing the crime rate increases around this time of year. “This has been a pretty good semester for us. We are off to a pretty good start. We want to finish up strong, of course, but so far we have been blessed,” said Lipscomb Security Lt. Patrick Cameron. There were five burglaries and two motor vehicle theft reports on Lipscomb’s campus within the entire 2018 year, according to the 2019 annual crime report. This has been an increasing number from the years prior but, campus security has done everything they can to secure the campus. “We have tried to, if possible, take lunch or dinner breaks inside the vehicles so we are still out and to have those extra eyes and just to remind everyone that it is that time of year where we do see an uptick in incidents,” said Cameron. “The campus crime rate has not increased but the surrounding areas have. We continue to see, through the weekly reports from Metro, that it’s all around us,” said Cameron. According to Neighborhood Scout, with a crime rate of 52 per one thousand residents, Nashville has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes. From the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One’s chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 19. “We have a good bit of campus secured with cameras and this allows us...
by Kathryn Farris | Nov 1, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
Fanning Hall experienced an uninvited male early Friday morning. Grace Daubenmier, a sophomore psychology major from Kijabe, Kenya, said she awoke to a man entering her dorm room in search of a girl named “Niesha.” After Daubenmier informed the unidentified male that her Fanning suite housed no one by that name, he left the room but ended up returning, proclaiming that he had the correct suite number, she said. “I think Bekah [her suitemate] saw him, and he was like, ‘Well, there is this girl out there who saw me, so I need to close the door.’ So he closed the door,” Daubenmier said. After he closed the door, he began a search of the dorm room. “I asked him if I could help him, and he started looking around the room and looking at pictures and said that he sells vapes,” Daubenmier said. “And then he was asking me questions about what I like about the school and where I’m from.” Daubenmier said she answered his questions while trying to text her friends that he was in her room. During the exchange, Daubenmier ended up giving the man her Instagram to keep him calm. “I was like, ‘Actually I think you need to go,’” she said. “I walked him out, and right after I came back, he was texting me that if I found the girl then he would be waiting out back.” Daubenmier called her RA, who ended up contacting Campus Security. “Officers responded immediately, and the young man left campus,” said Assistant Vice President of Public Relations and Communication Kim Chaudoin. “This is a good opportunity to...
by Tyler Harvey | Oct 20, 2019 | BREAKING NEWS, News Slider
The annual crime report for the 2018 year was released this month by Lipscomb’s Office of Security and Safety. The report shows that there was one reported rape on campus last year and that the criminal activity of burglary in on-campus housing had increased from one report in 2017 to five reports in 2018. The one reported rape on campus is alleged to have occurred in September 2018. The accused is former Lipscomb sophomore, Sam Salib. Salib was indicted by a grand jury in August on three counts of rape. (https://www.scoopnashville.com/2019/08/grand-jury-indicts-lipscomb-student-sam-salib-in-2018-rape-case/?fbclid=IwAR2YkwWQ_6BqE8oY12FLtgdVn0bocJK4HgJoUA0wssciJh_-ev2UyKBe02I) The report reported that there were no rapes on campus for 2017 and two for 2016. “I feel safe on campus if security is there to protect me,” senior Bailie Fite said. “When I’m by myself, though, I feel like I’m on my own and if I report something, I feel like they’re (campus security) not going to do anything about it.” In response to students who feel unsafe, Assistant Vice President of Public Relations and Communications Kim Chaudoin said, “Lipscomb Security and Safety has personnel on campus 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. If any student feels alone or in need of assistance, they only need to call 615-966-7600 to access one of our officers to assist them any time of the day or night.” Fite also said that she feels unsafe at night in parking lots on campus because in her opinion they are poorly lit. Chaudoin responded: “Lipscomb Security and Safety offers a Bison Walk service for anyone who feels unsafe or would like to have someone accompany them to or from their car,...
