The Mississippi State University campus was cautious this past week after several posts on various social media platforms depicted instances of young women being approached by strangers while walking alone.
The MSU police department commented on at least one of these incidents, asking people to report incidents they experienced.
Sergeant Michael Simmons, an MSU officer of 13 years from Newport, Mississippi, suggests students be alert and aware when walking to help reduce the risk of being approached in some cases.
“One very important point that I try to make, if you are walking, don’t walk with both headphones in because you can’t hear if someone sneaks up behind you,” Simmons said. “Be cognitive of your surroundings, and look people in the eye. Keep your head up, keep it on a swivel and notice who’s around you. Travel in packs, there’s safety in numbers.”
Simmons explained MSUPD takes interest in students’ safety by sending officers to specialized training, so they, in turn, can train the student body to use defensive skills in case students run into these kinds of situation.
“When we offer a safety course, take a few minutes and go,” Simmons said.
These courses are offered several times a year, and they are free to students.
Simmons also explained reporting incidents is of the utmost importance.
“[Reporting incidents] is very important because if we don’t know that a crime has been committed we can’t respond or put the resources in place to try to solve it or get to the bottom of it,” Simmons said. “Keep yourself safe, and report anything. Even if it seems small, come and talk to us about it and let us help you to make a determination on if it’s significant or not. What may seem insignificant for you, may be significant to us. We can’t give out the proper information if we don’t know. If something happens, please report it.”
To report an incident to MSU police, call dispatch or go to the station. MSUPD officers are all over campus, and can easily be identified by their uniforms; however, if students are unsure, they can ask for identification.
“If you’re unsure, just ask. Everyone from the police department has an official MSU ID card from Mississippi State,” Sergeant Simmons said. “Just ask to see their ID, we have to have these on us at all times. Take a look at the uniforms, they have an official patch, usually, there are rankings on there, they’ll have a badge and a gun.”
Freshman biomedical science major Lany Wallace from Chippewa Lake, Ohio, said MSU has many programs to protect students.
“I think it’s in the schools best interest to make the university community feel safe,” Wallace said. “People should take advantage of the university’s resources like the campus escort service.”
MSUPD offers students 24/7 campus escorts for anyone who does not feel safe walking alone on campus. This service is listed on their website where the phone number can also be found.
“I feel that bringing awareness to the campus resources and current situations is important so that people can have the correct information to be aware and take precaution,” Wallace said.
Although many students feel safe on a daily basis at MSU, this recent alertness has caused uneasy and uncomfortable feelings among students, especially the women on campus. The university’s police department has tips listed on their website stating students should walk in groups, take self-defense classes and utilize the campus escort system in place.
If anyone experiences anything or is in a situation where safety is compromised, reach out to MSUPD and report it immediately.
