Winthrop University’s open campus policy is welcoming to outsiders, even those without the greatest intentions. In the past, students have said they were not concerned about crime on campus, but one summer incident has students questioning the open campus policy.
On July 8, a man named John Ragin Craig was walking in the nude on Scholars Walk around 1:20 a.m. Craig was charged by the Rock Hill Police Department with indecent exposure.
An on-duty police officer was the first to see this display while on patrol, according to Kenneth Scoggins, the Winthrop Chief of Police.
Since the incident, Winthrop Campus Police and Winthrop students have said they are both looking into how to continue protecting students from external dangers. Some students have said that they are concerned about Winthrop’s open campus because Winthrop Police cannot protect the campus in its entirety.
“I like the fact that we can go where we want without having to go through so many gates and swiping cards, but that means people around Winthrop can do the same. I think we could have more surveillance,” said Alex Harrison, a senior Environmental Science major.
Senior Theatre Performance major Shakira Wiggins said there have been many dangerous incidents during the years she has been at Winthrop, but not enough solutions.
“With that being said, we should use our resources like calling campus police instead of walking [alone] to our dorms at night,” Wiggins said.
Natalie Huxtable, a sophomore Graphic Design major, said the campus police does a good job of protecting students and issuing traffic violations. She said that campus police could use the Winthrop University Alerts system more often to notify students of incidents that have occured on campus.
“I think they’re beneficial for the most part, but I also think a lot of their time is dedicated to being traffic cops,” Huxtable said.
According to Scoggins, the Campus Police are always discussing incentives to protect Winthrop’s open campus and provide a safer community for students while remaining accessible to everyone.
Scoggins said he was disappointed that this event had occurred on Winthrop’s campus, however, he has been serving Winthrop for over 17 years and claims to have never witnessed another event like this one.
If students are to witness an event such as this one, or any dangerous event on campus, Scoggins said to call the Winthrop Campus Police Office immediately. The Campus Police, University Leadership, and Staff claim that they will continue to discuss safety and security in the coming years.
“We are currently in the process of upgrading security and camera systems, adding new police officers, and putting police officers on bicycles,” Scoggins said.
According to Scoggins, this should ensure more police officer coverage around campus and student accessibility to officers when needed.