Police increase South Campus presence

BUFFALO, N.Y. – University Police and the Buffalo Police department have increased patrols on and near the University at Buffalo’s South Campus in response to multiple armed robberies and attempted robberies occurring over the past several weeks.

University Police have posted a special unit to the South Campus and have increased patrols on the campus, 24/7. They are working closely with Buffalo Police to apprehend the person or persons responsible for these crimes.

In addition, University Police have held town hall forums to discuss robbery prevention and personal safety with groups of students, faculty and staff.

“University Police has been meeting, corresponding and talking with members of the South Campus community regarding these incidents,” said Gerald W. Schoenle Jr., UB’s chief of police.

“This level of crime is unusual for our university. We understand the stress that these types of situations generate for members of the campus community and we are certainly available to speak with anyone who has concerns for his or her safety.

“We held a town hall meeting with the dental school last week, and we have been speaking or corresponding with the schools of Architecture and Planning and Social Work,” Schoenle said.

He added that on Friday UPD leadership met with members of the School of Nursing, and School of Architecture and Planning to discuss their concerns and review safety recommendations.

“We all have to do our part to keep safe,” Schoenle said. “University Police is patrolling heavily on campus. Anyone travelling on campus should stay vigilant, try to avoid walking alone and if in doubt call UPD.”

Members of the university community are reminded to stay alert to their surroundings and always travel with other people.  Other guidelines to follow include:

• Do not walk alone or go places by yourself.
• Contact University Police at any time day or night if you need an escort or if you see suspicious persons on campus. Call 716-645-2222 or 2227.
• Keep your residence hall room locked.
• Pick up any emergency blue light phone on campus to be immediately connected to University Police.

Additional safety tips can be found at: http://upolice.buffalo.edu/pst.php.

When possible, use the SBI Safety Shuttle or other UB transportation services. Call 716-829-2584 for shuttle information and to schedule rides, or go to https://subboard.com/healthed.html.