From tragedy comes good

By Emily L. Judd  

JUNE 30, 2011 11:18 a.m. (0)

In the years since Clemson student Tiffany Souers was murdered university officials and students have focused more on campus safety and resulted in a corresponding reduction of certain crimes.

Vice President for Student Affairs at Clemson, Gail DiSabatino said, “I do believe at the time which one of our students was murdered off-campus there was a heightened awareness of the importance of individual student responsibility to take safety precautions such as locking their doors and not walking alone at night.”

Clemson University Security Captain Eric Hendricks agreed, “The publicity that came from that tragedy made students more aware.”

In 2007, the year after Souers was strangled, raped and murdered in her off-campus apartment, four forcible sex offenses were reported and by 2009 the number dropped to two.

Clemson University police force helped with crime awareness by using programs such as the Rape Aggressive Defense program, instituted in 2000 but it became more relevant on the campus following the Souers murder, Hendricks said.

The program educates women about the danger of rape and how to prevent becoming a victim by “establishing some ideas or tactics to get away from the attacker,” Hendricks said.

The Rape Aggressive Defense (RAD) program is detailed in orientation brochures for new students as well as emphasized to other students.

“When they [the students] get here, we try to instill them about safety awareness because education is the key. You have to take that extra step to make the contact with the students,” Hendricks states.

And even though the Tiffany Souers murder occurred in off-campus housing, a residential security program known as the Residential Housing Liaison Program was established in 2006 to increase protection at the Clemson residential dormitories.

“We have officers assigned to certain residence halls. The RA can contact the officer, they know their first name, they can call them anytime. This sets up the personal contact for more comfortable relationships.  We have received very successful positive feedback from the residence halls and communities,” Hendricks said.

DiSabatino said, “While the students who were on campus at the time have graduated and there is less of an immediate urgency around the issue of personal safety, we have continued to be diligent in promoting awareness and expanding our services to assists students in caring for themselves.  Of particular note are the cameras and the monitoring in the residence halls and other locations on campus and the expansion of our evening on-demand transits service.”

Student and RA Margaret Landers said, “We have safety month every year and the cops do a lot of talks around campus, along with us RAs.” It is reassuring to know that the Clemson University police force has been working towards a safer campus using these programs.

Souers, a junior, was strangled with a bikini top on May 26, 2006, in her apartment at The Reserve at Clemson, a complex minutes away from the Clemson campus where almost all residents are students.

Registered sex offender, Jerry Buck Inman pled guilty in April 2009 to the murder and was sentenced to death.

Sophomore Margaret Landers said she’s never felt unsafe on campus, even at night. She noted the school has a transit service that students can call from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m and there are buses.