SUPD to crackdown on loitering, noise

Southern University Police are trying to put an end to students loitering, late night loud music playing that disturbs other sleeping students and late night wandering at different spots on campus.
Southern University Police Chief Michael Morris said the common area around Totty Hall and the street in front of Jones Hall is where a lot of residential students hang out and congregate with one another.
Last Thursday night at 3 a.m. officers moved students from the area and from the street.
“Three or four people were playing basketball in the parking lot and they were also playing music in a car with both doors open and the music was so loud that it could be heard from the checkpoint booth,” said Morris.
Morris also said that the dormitory area is a residential area and that is why they have a checkpoint because they do not want unauthorized people in student’s residence causing trouble. He said that is the reason they stop people at the check is to not allow people who do not have a legitimate tag access to the student resident area.
“We are not trying to prevent students from enjoying themselves just don’t do it in area where you will disturb the other students who are trying to get some sleep,” said Morris. “They can go the F.G. Clark Activity Center parking lot so that way they won’t disturb anyone who is sleeping, studying or trying to go to sleep. Because not everyone appreciates loud music or talking at three in the morning.”
Morris stated that there is no curfew at Southern University and the only way he would impose a curfew is if there was an emergency on campus such as a gas leak from Exxon, or a bad storm. He also said that if Southern wanted to set a curfew for non-emergency reasons it would have to be approved by the Board of Supervisors.
He also stated that common areas included the red zone areas. He said that cars that are parked in theses areas will be kept clear so that if there is a fire, fire trucks would not be able to pass through so that is why it must remain clear.
“As long as they aren’t preventing me from getting my needed hours of rest I’m fine with it, but when it gets to the point to where I can’t get any sleep then we will have a serious problem. Because I came to college to enhance my learning and not to fall asleep in class,” said Jasmine Boutte, a freshman Fine Arts major from Shreveport.
Morris said that SUPD recently has hired 10 new dormitory security officers to make sure that the peace is kept around the dorms, for the sake of the students who are sleeping, trying to go to sleep, or studying and they will be deploying the guys that were security officers who are not employees for SU but rather contractors and they weren’t under his command.”
Morris said that the new officers will engage in community policing, walking the halls, walking the campus grounds, talking to students and getting to know them. He said that if students need their help they could feel free to talk to one of the officers.
Student Government Association President Carey Ash said that the issue(s) at the back of campus in terms of the administration point of view is for the safety of the students. They (the administration) are afraid that people who are not students are getting on campus and might endanger or do harm to students.
“The issues which I am totally for is the fact that this is the student’s home and they paid to live here, if they want to stay outside all night they have the right to do so. The administration said that this is about students safety, but I don’t believe that safety starts at the back of campus but rather the front of campus,” said Ash.
Ash complained about the checkpoints not running and the patrol late at night is not as good as it could be.
“These are the issues that the administration needs to tackle before restricting the student’s liberty or attempting to restrict them,” said Ash. “I met with Marilyn Hill, director of residential housing, Sgt. Williams of the police department and spoken with them about the issue and I made it plain to them that the student body is not in favor of any regulations until the checkpoints are up, it is written down and at this point in time none of those two things have happened,” said Ash.
“I believe the only way that this problem is going to be solved is if we start at the front checkpoint of the campus. Students should not be penalized for administrative shortcomings. I’m not blaming the administration and I’m not blaming the police department. I’m blaming everyone,” said Ash.
Ash stated that if the front main checkpoint was open and working, it means that they can log in everyone who comes on this campus.
“The student body is in support of a safe campus, we believe in a safe campus, we want a safe campus but when pursuing that safe campus violates or restricts the rights of students unfairly then we have to get to the table and find a solution. The one-sided solution of putting students out of the circle at night unfairly is wrong,” said Ash. ” If there is a disturbance, violence, or something drastic that occurs that would call for that area to be secured for safety purposes that’s a different scenario. But when everything has not been done at an administrative level you cannot penalize the students on their loss.”
Students have sent complaints about this ordeal and that is why Ash is fighting for the students and their rights and he wants all students to know that he is fighting to get this issue resolved.
“We are college students and if some of us want to hang out and have fun no matter what time it is we have that right,” said Brandon Johnson, a sophomore mechanical engineering major from Houston.
Sgt. Floyd Williams said, “The bottom line is that no matter who you are and no matter where you live there is a simple law called “disturbing the peace” and although it’s a minor infraction you are still to be held accountable for what you do and if you want to have an iron man contest to see who can stay up the most hours that’s fine but that doesn’t give you the right to disturb others.”
“I feel that SUPD has a valid reason for doing what they do at the back of campus, because not everyone likes to party until the break of dawn, they do have students that like to study in peace and quiet and we also know the importance of getting the proper hours of sleep,” said Jessica Griffin a junior Business major from Denver.