Winthrop University police, Rock Hill Police Department and Walk2Campus explained what students who are living in off-campus student housing can do to protect themselves and what the community is doing to ensure the safety of Winthrop students.
Winthrop’s assistant police chief Wes Wiles said Winthrop police serve as a “support service role” when interacting with Rock Hill police and Campus Walk since the property is in Rock Hill jurisdiction.
“If there’s any type of emergency call, we all monitor one another’s frequencies… we will come over [to Campus Walk]. A lot of times we’re the first responders, actually,” Wiles said.
Wiles said campus police will manage the situation until the Rock Hill police arrive.
Campus Walk property manager Anthony Peguese said Campus Walk management has quarterly meetings with the Rock Hill Police Department to talk about safety for the student community.
As some students expressed concern about nonresidents loitering in and around the apartment buildings after 5 p.m., Rock Hill police said students should call them if anything seems out of the norm.
Rock Hill Police Capt. Rod Stinson said, “Anything, if you call us, we’re gonna come. If its a suspicious person, a suspicious car, we’ll respond to it.”
When residents place a suspicious person call, Rock Hill Police will respond. If they find the reported person, they will complete a field interview.
Stinson said that in a field interview, the officer would gather the person’s information including their name, address and their purpose for being in the area. Field interviews provide the police department with background information just in case something similar happens again.
Campus Walk residents can call Rock Hill Police to do a check-in at their building to make sure they are safe. The officer would speak with the people who are loitering to see if they are residents, or guests of residents and then handle the situation accordingly.
However, the Rock Hill Police said the people who are accused of loitering have the right to not give out the information of whether they live there; they can only enforce rules that Campus Walk has provided for the buildings.
Hastings said Campus Walk policy is all guests should be accompanied by a resident.
If there is no illegal are harmful activity going on when the officers arrive, then they cannot take any further legal action.
Stinson said residents can choose to have the officer meet with them or remain anonymous; residents should notify the dispatcher of their choice.
Rock Hill officers also have access cards to enter the buildings.
Campus Walk is working on new initiatives to satisfy students’ needs and concerns surrounding the safety and privacy of their community.
Some other residents’ concerns were illegal parking alongside the perimeters of the apartment buildings and in the white lined spaces between handicap parking.
Currently, residents who have paid for a gold or silver parking pass have the ability to call the tow truck company that is partnered with Campus Walk if they see illegally parked vehicles.
Brad Hastings, the chief operating officer for Walk2Campus said one idea the property’s management has discussed is extending that privilege to include residents who park in the free bronze parking lot.
Discussion about the distance between the bronze parking lot and the Campus Walk apartments sparked conversation about whether Campus Police extends the escort service to residents of Campus Walk.
Wiles said Winthrop students who live in Campus Walk can call campus police to drive them from an area on campus to their apartments during the night hours. They can also get an escort from their car to their apartment if they feel unsafe.
There was also an idea of Campus Walk and the Rock Hill Police Department partnering to offer self-defense courses for residents.
Security around the community was also a request of parents and residents which Hastings said is something the property is looking into. In the past, Campus Walk has had problems with inconsistent security companies.
Hastings said to residents, “As a company, we’re willing to make an investment. This isn’t just to show, to kinda say ‘oh we care.’ We really do care, and we’re willing to put money to work to make you guys feel safer and it’s important to us.”
Campus Walk has over 85 surveillance cameras and residents have access cards to all property buildings.
If residents find themselves in unsafe situations, they should call the Rock Hill Police at 803-329-7200, or call Winthrop Police at 803-323-2211.
