Boundaries broken, lessons learned

On Nov. 15, several UTSA students reported burglaries at the Chisholm Hall housing complex. The UTSA Police Department responded immediately and senior leadership was notified immediately after the incidents were reported. In the initial alert sent out at around 8:40 a.m., a male suspect was reported and UTSA PD requested that anyone who had information regarding the burglaries to contact the department. In an update sent at around 3:30 p.m. via email, police stated that there was an unauthorized breach of security in nine rooms, but no one was harmed during the incidents. A second suspect was also mentioned.

The email states that “University leadership has directed the reinforcement of security measures at Chisholm Hall. Additional staff has also been assigned to assist students with any support services or resources they may need. Police patrols have also been increased.” 

As UTSA PD continues to investigate, it is important to acknowledge their swift response. Their actions to keep students and faculty safe during this dangerous situation are commendable, and should serve as a model for any future security breaches. It is imperative that the UTSA population feels safe on campus — especially in their places of residence. 

UTSA PD offers a number of crime prevention presentations which teach about burglary and theft responses. Although burglaries are rare in dorms, students would undoubtedly benefit from preparing for worst-case scenarios. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

As we close out the semester, we still need to be mindful of what is happening on campus in order to keep others safe. UTSA’s emergency contact is (210) 458-4911, their non-emergency contact is 458-4242 and their contact for the hearing impaired and TDD is (210) 458-4243.