Online tool helps solve crimes at WU

By Claire Byun

Reporting a campus crime can sometimes be a hassle, but with an anonymous online tool, sending Campus Police information about a crime is easy and effective.

Silent Witness Reporting, found on Winthrop police’s Web page, can be used by Winthrop students and faculty to report any crime or suspicious activity while remaining anonymous.

Like York County’s Crime Stoppers program, the Web tool allows university students to provide information about an alleged crime without having to meet face to face with Campus Police.

Ken Scoggins, assistant chief of Campus Police, explains that “anonymous reporting is a very effective tool because it gives students a chance to give an account of crime, without getting involved in the investigation.”

Any type of crime can be reported, including drug, theft and harassment.

Description, location and suspect of the crime are included in the confidential online form, and three copies are sent to Campus Police: one copy to Chief Frank Zebedis, one to Scoggins and one to the campus detectives.

“The reason we have so many copies is to ensure as much coverage as possible,” Scoggins said. “Someone will get the information and make further investigation of it.”  

Scoggins also ensures the confidentiality of the Web site, stating that the system is not designed to be able to track IP addresses. Also, officers can only see the information about the crime, not the identity of the person who submitted the tip.

“However, if you would like to be contacted about what you reported, there is a spot on the site where you can give Campus Police your contact information,” Scoggins said.

Even though he said this tool has been used successfully in drug charges, Ashley Mellon, sophomore English major, believes the system has problems because of its setup.

“I feel like the person who committed the crime could complete one of those forms and not be suspected because he or she was the one who reported it,” Mellon said.

Mellon has had her bicycle stolen twice while at Winthrop, and she is relieved to know about Campus Police’s efforts to reduce crime while still letting students remain anonymous about the information they provide.

“I guess it’s good to be proactive in any way,” Mellon said.

This past semester, the Silent Witness tool has not been used because of the lack of student awareness, though it has been available for several years, Scoggins said.

However, he expects increased understanding of the tool will result in increased crime report by the community.

“For us to do our job more effectively, we need the students and staff to be our eyes and ears,” Scoggins said. “We can’t be everywhere all the time.”