Mary Evans
As the student population at the University of Mississippi continues to surge, so do safety concerns — especially in the first off-campus freshman housing site, The Quarters. Recent reports from the Clery Daily Crime Log indicate a higher rate of incidents being reported by students in The Quarters versus those in on-campus dormitories.
From August 18, 2023 to March 30, 2024, there have been roughly 89 incidents reported to the University Police Department at The Quarters, with offenses ranging from minor violations like noise disturbances to more serious crimes like assault and possession of drugs. In the same period of time, roughly 58 incidents have been reported at Stockard Hall.
Chief Daniel Sanford, who has been with the University Police Department for more than two years, explained the challenges with incident reports in freshman dorms.
“Any time you have freshman dorms, you will have some challenges since many of the occupants are on their own for the first time,” Sanford said. “There is also a bit of a learning curve the first time a person lives with roommates, so personality clashes and differences of opinion will happen from time to time.”
Initially, the main issue with The Quarters was jurisdiction. With both Oxford Police Department and UPD involved, the two departments have made strides to enhance efficiency and ensure student safety.
“UPD and OPD co-respond to The Quarters since some of the complex is leased by the university and some of it is leased by individuals,” Sanford said. “Upon arrival at a call for service, the officers determine which agency is responsible for the call based on the event’s location, and then they address it accordingly. Generally speaking, UPD will be the primary reporting agency for incidents that occur within university-leased spaces.”
The Quarters was leased to help provide more housing in light of increased enrollment.
In the 2013-2014 school year, 16,677 undergraduate students were enrolled across all UM campuses. Within a decade, that number has increased to 18,533 for the 2023-2024 academic year. This school year, new freshmen enrollment is 46.3% higher than it was at the beginning of the academic year in 2013.
The university plans to lease more apartment complexes for the upcoming academic year beginning in August 2024.
The university will lease 130 furnished bed spaces at the Lark Oxford complex and 65 bed spaces at Gather Oxford Apartments according to the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees board book released on Jan. 18. It will also lease 126 beds at Taylor Bend Apartments and 200 bed spaces contracted under Beacon Oxford Investors, LLC, according to the March 21 board book.
Sanford explained that the university is striving to enhance campus safety in light of this growth.
“Since I became chief in 2021, UPD has experienced a tremendous amount of support from the university because campus safety is a huge priority for Chancellor Boyce,” Sanford said. “He and the student affairs leadership have supported my efforts to retain, train and equip our officers and other UPD personnel.”
Lieutenant Adam Peacock, who has over two decades of service at UPD, has implemented a system in which officers are assigned to specific areas on campus to foster a sense of familiarity and trust with the student community.
“We try to staff the same officers in the same areas all the time so that they can get to know the members of the community, and the members of the community can get to know them,” Sanford said. “It is my hope that these relationship-building efforts will lead to increased trust and confidence in the department and aid in our efforts to keep our community safe.”
Traditional dorms like Crosby, Martin, Stockard and Stewart, which house 700-1,000 students, have at least one RA to monitor the students on each floor.
Freshman history major and Stockard resident Larry Larmann explained that while his RA is “a chiller,” he still feels obligated to follow some rules.
“At the end of the day, it’s nice to know that when things do happen, I can talk to my RA and be fine,” Larmann said.
As for the contemporary dorms such as the Residence Halls, Luckyday and Burns, each floor is divided by gender and is strictly regulated by RAs on a much smaller scale.
The Quarters has 10 RAs and houses 354 residents according to Jacob Batte of UM News and Media Relations.
Adriane Arinder, a junior resident at The Quarters and an integrated marketing communications major, has noticed an increase in incidents on the freshman side of the building.
“I always see cop cars parked out front, but I never know why. I guess it’s just a freshman thing,” Arinder said.
Looking ahead, Sanford acknowledged the need for constant adaptation to the ever-growing student body and campus jurisdiction. As UPD continues to hire more officers, Sanford is confident that UPD will be able to handle whatever comes their way next year, even as UM leases apartment space to use as off-campus university housing.
“Our goal is to see that our community members receive the best service possible, and we feel that the co-response model best fits this need,” Sanford said.
