Following recent events at the University of Houston, including a rise in campus crimes such as scooter thefts, armed robbery, and a disturbing knifepoint rape, an Emergency Town Hall was held on Friday.
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The event at Emancipation Park in Houston’s Third Ward was hosted by State Representative Jolanda Jones, and allowed students and community members to voice their concerns and discuss ways to improve safety on campus.
The event was organized with the help of Constable Smokie Phillips, Ramon Manning of the Emancipation Park Conservancy, and several student organizations, all working to address the growing security issues.
Recent incidents, like the robbery at the UH South-University Oaks Metro Rail platform and a sexual assault in the Welcome Center Student Parking Garage, have heightened the need for change. While the suspect in the assault case, Eric Latroy Brown, was arrested, he was later released due to insufficient evidence. Brown was put back behind bars on Tuesday.
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Jones emphasized the importance of a safe learning environment, stating, “Ensuring a safe environment for students is paramount as it allows you to focus on your education without reverting to fear.”
Students voiced their concerns, with student Nekane Diaz advocating for increased campus patrolling and Mina Vuong criticizing University of Houston Board of Regents Chairman Tilman Fertitta’s comments on campus safety.
“This is not an unsafe environment, sure we had a few incidents, but there’s always going to be incidents when you have a city of 50,000. We’d like to have none, and we’re going to do everything we can not to have any incidents, but I’m a realist, ok,” Fertitta said in an interview earlier this week.
“My take away from it was how out of touch his statements are,” Vuong said. “I want him to step away from his mini mansion, I want him to be free from his security guards and I want him to just experience what we experience when we’re forced to study late at night and we have to walk maybe 15 minutes to our car in a very poorly lit area.”
Despite record funding, some students, like Aihanuwa Ale-Opinion, feel that the University of Houston Police Department has not effectively implemented measures to reduce crime. However, Ale-Opinion remains hopeful, asserting that the town hall was a valuable opportunity for student voices to be heard.
Representative Jones assured attendees that her staff took detailed notes during the meeting, which will be presented to the University of Houston administration to develop a plan for improved campus safety. The suspect in the recent sexual assault case, Eric Brown, is due back in court on May 8th.
