Public safety at UW Tacoma and its relationship with crime in a big city

Trigger Warning: mentions of violence, crime and drugs

UW Tacoma is located in a diverse area of Tacoma that continually shows its beauty and its dangers. Here are some reminders for your optimal safety on and around the campus.

Crime is something we all know occurs around us in big cities. It’s also something people don’t think about often because it’s an uncomfortable topic, the primary reasons being the shocking headlines about cases of rape and sexual assault, domestic violence, murder and death. 

Beyond the headlines, I know that if we always look away and think that nothing can happen to us, then we are naïve about the managed reality of city life and the dangers it can present. The heart of downtown Tacoma is a vibrant cultural space worth visiting with some caution. 

Walking amongst people mostly unknown to you can cause some anxiety, but thankfully, UWT’s campus security guards are there to smile and politely say hello. If you find yourself needing someone to keep you safe on campus, that’s what they are paid to do. The officers are also willing to help locals, as they are sometimes seen calling shelters for homeless individuals found on campus grounds. 

They usually stand in the middle of campus or toward the front of the stairs, ready to assist you or ask how your day is going, however, it would be good to see more coverage around the perimeter of campus too. 

Kylie Hammett, a student and dorm resident, shared the same sentiment I do about safety at UWT, knowing that outside of the campus perimeter, anything can happen on the streets. Planning routes ahead of time and checking in with her parents is something Hammett takes seriously, as do I. 

“I know people that go here that are very concerned about safety,” Hammet told The Ledger, “but there’s multiple layers to how security can be used to help.” 

I sat down for a conversation about public safety on the UWT campus with Sergeant Darren Bailey and Officer Mike Pedee, who told me about some of the incidents they had responded to on campus over their years of service. Years ago, the population of local homeless youth committed delinquent acts such as vandalism and theft on campus. On Nov. 21 of this year, suspects broke into the University YMCA Student Center building at around 3 a.m. and were caught by Campus Security later that night. 

The suspects burglarized the Amazon Lockers outside the YMCA building at about 5:26 a.m. and were arrested by the Tacoma Police Department, according to the UWT Crime and Fire Safety Log, which occurred during Campus Security’s graveyard shift between 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. 

Another UWT student, Veronica Faison told the Ledger that one night, she was walking with her friends when a man driving a car approached them and aggressively asked for their phone number, then turned around, parked and waited for them to come back towards him. The girls called Campus Security, who arrived to scare off the driver. 

There were also several incidents lately such as indecent exposure on Pacific Ave., a few trespassing incidents on campus, a theft of personal belongings in the Dougan building and the break-in on Oct. 30 in the Mattress Factory where several items were stolen.  

While I worked for the uBookstore before it closed in January of 2023, I had to call Campus Security multiple times to report strange incidents outside or to have them escort a homeless person out of the store. Once, I came to open the store in the morning and discovered it had been burglarized, the glass door smashed in. Another time, a homeless man walked in and ran out with a handful of clothing items. 

These incidents can make someone feel on edge while on campus, especially when there isn’t a lot of activity in the evening and wintertime, mostly after dark. It can make someone anxious to even come to campus at times. Still, I find myself drawn to the city lights and car headlights while looking down from Hilltop in the evening. 

The nightlife activity can be somewhat comforting. What is most uncomfortable at night is not being able to see the faces of people on the streets, to try and read what they are thinking. 

“It’s the central hub of downtown, you can’t really expect anything but the unexpected,” Officer Pedee said.  

On my birthday, I witnessed a man get hit by a car while running across the street, and more recently, I have seen suspicious drug-related activity while driving on Pacific Avenue near Hilltop, which isn’t surprising. I’ve even seen SWAT vehicles up in a Spanaway neighborhood, which is another thing I can’t turn a blind eye to. 

You should expect the unexpected, and this topic has been on my mind since this summer, after researching more about the crimes being committed in and around our city. 

Within the last year, there have been multiple homicides in the Tacoma and Pierce County area, according to records published by the Pierce County Medical Examiner. It’s a stark reminder to travel in public with a healthy amount of fear, because it keeps a person alert. This is not to say people should allow fear to control where they go. It’s to suggest that everyone should pay more attention to their surroundings.  

Both Officer Pedee and UWT student Hammett stressed the importance of wearing only one headphone if you must listen to music while you’re out in public, and especially not staring at your phone while being in the open. 

Officer Pedee is invited every year to provide a safety talk and establish rapport with students and international students during New Student Orientation on campus. This sometimes involves talking about cultural differences in social interactions to help ease tensions that can occur in public. He mostly focuses on providing local resources, phone numbers and discussing phone scams. Officer Pedee wants all students to feel prepared and safe on campus. 

Campus Security also offers escort services to your car. There are a minimum of 2 to 3 security guards on campus, especially during the mornings and afternoons when more people are active. They receive calls several times daily to deal with disturbances or suspicious activity with the calls slowing down around 10 p.m. 

At night on campus, everything is quiet, aside from the occasional night class or study group near the Cherry Parks building, where Sergeant Bailey is sometimes stationed toward the end of his shift. Sergeant Bailey informed The Ledger that the Campus Security team is welcoming a new member soon to help improve student safety.  

This is good news for the campus. It contributes to the Institution’s effort to secure the community’s safety as seen with the AI cameras stationed in the main parking lots and by the middle of the stairs. The technology helps to provide surveillance, but students have shared with me that having more officers makes things feel safer than just the cameras alone.  

We need more boots on the ground, as it would help to establish rapport with the student population and assist in identifying and addressing issues on campus. There is also the underlying component of the mental health crisis, which can be difficult to assess, particularly when interacting with the homeless population. 

Generally, it’s wise to not respond to unknown people if you have a gut feeling about the situation. Don’t agree to give a stranger anything they ask for, as if you oblige, it may create a pattern of behavior that could turn into harassment or negative interactions. As an example, the stores, cafes or restaurants on campus have created patterns of behavior such as the homeless population coming in for free food or drinks, according to Sergeant Bailey. 

I have covered homelessness and the economy before, and I understand that when someone is in need, it’s second nature to most people to want to help. One of the best things you can do is support a local organization or talk to the person and see if they would be willing to receive professional help, before offering them anything else out of kindness.  

If people don’t think there are resources on campus for them, they likely won’t come back. We should always discourage behavior that puts everyone else at risk on campus, as we don’t know who these people are. 

Unfortunately, the City of Tacoma cannot keep up with the growing wage gap, poverty and housing crisis. The current government in charge of Washington’s economics, energy and housing is not doing enough to fix the problems, which in turn results in an increased homeless population residing around downtown Tacoma. 

The city is trying to keep up with the problem, but since 2021 when I came to UWT, I’ve seen Tacoma’s homelessness crisis on a steady rise, as reflected in the numbers I wrote in a recent article. The HEAL Team’s efforts to clean up the streets of Tacoma are swift, with homeless encampments moving around the city or being pushed further into the countryside, often down Pacific Avenue or to more wooded areas within a few days. 

I must make the very important distinction that not all homeless people are criminals. Many are simply disadvantaged people who don’t have proper resources, financial backing or family. Others are Veterans, the Disabled, women, children and youth who are crashing at friends’ houses to have a safe place to sleep. Then you have the population who won’t work because of drug addictions, fentanyl sadly being the most common and cheapest drug on the streets. 

While working for the uBookstore, I witnessed burglary firsthand as a sales associate. Many times, it was the homeless committing these types of crimes. I was always understanding and welcoming to people no matter who they were, even when someone came in the store to try and find something to get high on. It was sad to witness a woman in that state of being, as I know she was a perfect representation of how the city, state and country has failed its people. 

My time here has made me recognize the dangers of Tacoma and keep a skeptical eye out for myself and my coworkers. I was ready to handle whatever situation presented itself, which meant thinking before I acted, not freezing up in the moment, properly diffusing a situation, calling 911 or Campus Security, taking cover or running out of the store if I needed to.  

Something I have seen, along with the Officers, is that some students don’t wear practical shoes to campus. In the event of stepping on broken glass or an emergency like a fire, I worry they may regret their decision, trip and become injured. 

As someone who lives out in the country, I observe small changes to my local environment more often than most people, who buzz around cities unprepared and vulnerable. I can’t live in managed reality, where I’m told to pretend there aren’t real problems, as I find it extremely difficult to trust society with something as precious as my life, having seen many headlines about victims of local crime over the years. I encourage others to be safe, too, especially at night. 

The street around the Mattress Factory and the Prairie Lane trail is dark, while the main part of campus near the stairs does have light. The addition of Milgard Hall provides some light, however, the campus could use more light around the Mattress Factory and Joy buildings, to brighten things up at night. A bright LED flashlight would be good to have in an emergency for better visibility. 

I opted to pay for parking and walk to campus from neighboring streets, due to my anxiety amongst strangers on the Tacoma Link. If you must use it, I suggest finding a buddy to travel with, or making a friend who has the same schedule as you. 

Keep a whistle or another personal alarm device easily accessible and attached to you, which can be found on Amazon. It’s also important to have campus security and 911 on speed dial, saved in your phone contacts like I do, in case I need to report something or call for help. 

To report suspicious activity or a crime in progress and help keep your community safe, call 911, go to Campus Safety’s website to file a report or just call 253-692-4416. For confidential sexual assault resources on campus, please visit the university’s website. NARCAN is also available on campus through an access form by Student Health Services.