2014 TBI report shows Lipscomb burglaries and thefts decrease

Lipscomb maintains a good reputation for being a safe environment with a low crime rate. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s 2014 crime on campus report show this to be the case, with the number of reported burglaries and thefts decreasing compared to previous years. In 2014, there were 13 reported larcenies/thefts, while in 2013, there were 52 and in 2012, there were 29. Assistant Director of Campus Security Patrick Cameron said Lipscomb is much different than other schools in the area when it comes to crime. “Lipscomb is truly blessed in regards to crime and is significantly lower than most schools in Tennessee,” Cameron said. “Also, the incidents we do have are property-related crimes instead of violent crimes.” But the type of crime that was reported this year can be prevented. Cameron said students can help prevent property crimes by marking their property so it is easily identifiable, never leaving valuables unattended and keeping their doors locked in the dorm when they leave or are sleeping. “Although I do not think Lipscomb Students have anything to worry about in terms of crime, I do think students, including myself, need to be more aware of how we secure our property, because even in a place as safe as Lipscomb there are people who will do bad things,” freshman Alec McDowell said. The report stated that incidents of burglary decreased by 34.1 percent from 2013 to 2014. The report also showed that crime reported by Tennessee colleges and universities overall decreased by 6.3 percent from 2013 to 2014, but reported fraud offenses increased 19 percent over the 2013 study. However, the...
2013 Lipscomb crime stats show rise in burglary, thefts

2013 Lipscomb crime stats show rise in burglary, thefts

Lipscomb has a generally good reputation concerning the amount of crimes that occur on campus. But, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s 2013 crime statistics show that the school ranks near the top of the list in comparison to nearby colleges with the number of reported burglaries and thefts. The amount of reported larcenies and thefts have gradually increased from 2010. In 2013, there were 52 reported larcenies/thefts, while in 2012, there were 29, a difference of 23 reports. The difference between burglaries and thefts/larceny, as Lipscomb Assistant Director of Campus Security Patrick Cameron described, is a matter of where the crime occurs. “If you leave your dorm room unlocked, [and] somebody comes in and steals your wallet out of your dorm room, it still counts as a burglary because it’s your residence,” Cameron said. He went on to say that theft occurs when an possession is stolen from a public place that the thief has permission to be in. To the left are the 2013 statistics compared to the past few years. Sophomore molecular biology major Mark Mitchell was a burglary victim last year. He and his roommate left their door unlocked at night quite often, and the money in his wallet was stolen. “I had [about] 100, 200 dollars in my wallet, in my desk, tucked away,” Mitchell said. The thief had walked into his room, taken the money and left. Though Mitchell was stolen from, his outlook on Lipscomb hasn’t changed. He does, however, encourage students to be more aware. “People need to be aware,” Mitchell said. “You need to recognize that this is not a bubble....

Professors advocate to end modern slavery

Nearly 2 million children are exploited each year in the global sex industry. Statistics like this are “staggering” says Dr. Randy Spivey, academic director of Lipscomb’s Institute for Law, Justice and Society. Jan. 11 is Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and people across the United States are recognizing those innocent men, women and children who are bought and sold into slavery worldwide. Studies show that 27 million people are enslaved today. Spivey, who taught a course last semester about human trafficking, said the U.S. is one of the greatest consumers of the “product” of modern slavery. Spivey noted that a police officer that took his class used the information he gained during the semester to recognize a human trafficking incident, rescuing a woman who had been held captive for a year and who had been transported across several states. Dr. Cayce Watson, assistant professor of social work, also teaches students about human trafficking so they are prepared if they encounter it in their careers. “Part of social work’s core values is to fight for social justice,” Watson said. “Human trafficking happens everywhere and nowhere. Everywhere because it’s happening and nowhere because people don’t talk about it.” Please upgrade your browser “Some folks have a notion that it happens far away, that it doesn’t happen here,” Watson said. “But we’re kind of a hotbed for that because of our interstates and being close to Atlanta.” According to a 2011 report by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 85% of counties in Tennessee reported at least one case of human trafficking within the past 2 years. “You have to be able to recognize...