by Aaron Butts
Crime in and around Capital University is nothing new. Capital students are accustomed to the occasional CapAlert informing them of a dangerous individual or a crime in the area, but that is usually the last anyone hears of these situations. There typically aren’t any follow-up emails sent out afterwards telling the students exactly how the events transpired and what actions were taken. This is because Capital’s Public Safety Department is a private police force that is governed by a different set of rules compared to Columbus or Bexley police.
Public Safety is under no legal obligation to voluntarily disclose any information regarding a crime unless it is a direct threat to the students, in which case it is an imperative in the best interests of the students and faculty. Public Safety has the right to withhold any and all private university documents regarding ongoing investigations or paperwork regarding a crime that has been committed but not yet brought to trial.
Capital’s Police Chief Frank Fernandez laid out the facts in an interview last semester. “A private institution with a police department does not have the same responsibility or obligation under any sunshine law to provide you with a report of anything that comes to us,” Fernandez said. “I can say ‘no, I can’t give you that report’ and the institution is protected by a Supreme Court decision. That could change, of course, at any time.”
Despite the fact that Capital’s Public Safety is a private police force, they have all the same power that the Bexley or Columbus Police Departments have within their jurisdictions. Public Safety has the ability to make arrests, conduct investigations, and protect the campus in the same fashion as any other police force, yet is seemingly not held to the same level of accountability as its more public counterparts.
None of this is to say that Capital is trying to pull a fast one on its students. Capital takes crime seriously and discloses as much information as necessary to students and faculty regarding campus crimes, such as the string of slashed tires and stolen bikes that occurred last year.
Capital also does a considerable amount by offering a full comprehensive list of all crimes committed on Capital property, outlining the exact figures in regards to crime. These reports are easy to find on the Capital website under Public Safety’s tab.
“We’re very open with letting the community know what is going on at our campus,” Fernandez said. “That’s a decision that we as an institution have decided to make.”
For more information on Capital’s policies on crime disclosure, contact the Public Safety Department located at the corner of College Avenue and Mount Street, or find past crime statistics and reports at www.capital.edu/safety/.
abutts@capital.edu
