Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Crime on the rise in Utah Valley
By Jane Putnam
The Daily Universe (BYU)
08/01/2006

(U-WIRE) PROVO, Utah — Internet safety, identity theft and drug use in Utah Valley were areas of concern discussed Friday, June 28, 2006, by BYU crime prevention officer, Jennifer Jensen, to a group of faculty, students and Provo residents in the WSC.

"A lot of the things that are happening in Utah County aren't new, but many are on the rise," Jensen said.

The No. 1 crime on BYU campus is theft, Jensen said. Fifty to 80 percent of thefts on campus are committed by people not related to BYU, meaning the thieves come to BYU because of its trusting environment, she said.

The most common items stolen on campus are book bags, iPods, cell phones and calculators, Jensen said. During springtime, bike theft increases as well.

"Overhead projectors [from classrooms at BYU] are a very popular item to take," Jensen said. "People will come and take them right out of the ceilings."

If something is stolen on campus, the minimum information needed to complete the report is the make, model, serial number, color and other descriptors, Jensen said. She added that it is smart to engrave a driver's license number on small items that do not have serial numbers. Driver's license numbers can also be used to track items.

"We recommend if you're bringing anything from home that you keep a separate written record of all of your possessions," Jensen said.

Along with protecting one's belongings, protecting one's identity is also a concern. Jensen gave three tips to the audience on how to prevent identity theft, and what to do if it happens: Keep personal information personal, don't be fooled by phishing and spoofing and before coming to the police to report an incident of identity theft, call banking and financial institutions to cancel credit and debit cards.

Drug use in Utah County is also on the rise. In fact, 10 years ago, Utah County was the No. 1 producer of methamphetamine, Jensen said. In 2006, Utah County does not rank as highly, but is still up there.

Officers have done a great job at working to get the number down, she said.

With rapid technological advances, Internet safety is a subject of increasing concern, especially related to online chat rooms and Web sites like facebook.com and myspace.com.

Parents need to monitor what their children are looking at while on the Internet, Jensen said. She advised parents to put the computer in the kitchen or the family room. She also suggested monitoring what chats children are engaging in while online and checking the sites children are browsing.

This seminar was one in a series of health-related topics sponsored by the BYU Wellness program. BYU Wellness tries to hold two a month, depending on how busy the month is, said Jeannie McLaughlin, a BYU Wellness Coordinator.

"Topics vary from creating an exercise program to identity theft to nutrition — anywhere under the umbrella of wellness," McLaughlin said.

Jensen was selected as the presenter because she has an extensive background in crime prevention, said Matt Smith, director of human relations development over wellness. Jensen has worked at BYU as the crime prevention officer for three years, Smith said.

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