UB Responds to Issues in the University Heights Neighborhood
This Q&A will answer many of the questions you may have about safety in University Heights and how UB is working with students, residents and community leaders to address issues in the neighborhood and on campus. If you have other questions you would like answered about UB's efforts, please feel free to contact us by email (http://www.buffalo.edu/community/contact.html) or call UB’s Community Relations Office at (716) 829-3099.
How safe is the University Heights neighborhood?
The University Heights neighborhood, which borders UB’s South Campus in Buffalo, is home to many responsible families, many of whom are UB employees, as well as students who rent apartments in the neighborhood. Like most urban communities that border a college campus, University Heights is not immune to crime and safety issues, but it is generally a safe neighborhood, according to crime statistics. Safety and crime issues in the neighborhood are being proactively addressed by the University at Buffalo, the City of Buffalo and neighborhood residents. For example, the Buffalo Police Department has organized a new burglary detail to deter neighborhood burglaries. This effort is in addition to new joint police patrols (http://www.buffalo.edu/news/10396) in the neighborhood instituted August 2009 by UB’s University Police, Buffalo Police Department and officers from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA).
Much of the crime in this neighborhood is related to the abuse of alcohol among young people who reside in or visit the neighborhood, including patrons of bars along Main Street. Some of these individuals are UB students and some are not. Some of this behavior leads to so-called nuisance crimes, such as vandalism. More serious incidents include acts of violence, though they are rarer. UB takes very seriously any criminal activity perpetrated against or by students, which is why UB and its community partners continue to take steps, described below, to make this neighborhood safer. Collaboration among the university, the City of Buffalo and the community is essential to these efforts.
What specifically are UB and its community partners doing to address safety in University Heights?
UB and the City of Buffalo have launched several new collaborative initiatives to continue improving safety, deter crime and enhance quality of life in University Heights.
On Aug. 27, 2009, the Buffalo Police Department, University Police and NFTA officers started new joint patrols along Main Street in Buffalo on Thursday through Saturday nights when there are many students and members of the community out and about.
In addition, UB has purchased two new security cameras for the City of Buffalo. They have been installed on Main Street at the corners of Englewood and LaSalle avenues. These cameras are in addition to the three cameras (http://www.buffalo.edu/news/9706) purchased by UB for the Buffalo Police Department in the fall of 2008. These cameras are located on traffic-signal or street-light poles on the corners of Winspear Avenue and Parkridge Street, Main and Custer streets, and Englewood Avenue and Eley Place.
UB also purchased Segway Personal Transporters and bicycles for use by Buffalo and UB police officers, which will enhance the community policing efforts of both departments. Bike and Segway patrols permit officers to be highly visible and are effective in patrolling defined areas with large groups of people. UB is providing specialized bike patrol training to all officers (see video). UB has invested more than $200,000 in safety initiatives in University Heights over the past two years.
As part of these collaborative efforts, the Buffalo Police Department has increased the presence of daily patrols in the neighborhood and will focus its Mobile Response Unit on pockets of criminal activity in the neighborhood. The City of Buffalo also has announced plans to be more aggressive on housing code enforcement in the neighborhood. This will improve the safety and upkeep of problem properties in University Heights.
In addition to the new joint patrols and security cameras, a neighborhood-safety task force has been created to address and monitor threats to neighborhood safety. The focus is on prevention of violence, theft and other serious crime and a reduction in nuisance crimes, such as vandalism and loud parties, which affect the quality of life of all neighborhood residents.
How is UB continuing to improve student safety on its South Campus?
UB has invested $2.4 million on the South Campus in new exterior lighting, as well as 76 new security cameras and 19 new emergency blue-light systems monitored by University Police. (Similar measures also have been installed on UB’s North Campus.) In addition, UB police have expanded their presence on the South Campus during weekends and other peak periods. An early warning notification system is designed to make students more aware of reported criminal activity off- and on-campus, and how to avoid it. This information is posted on “My UB” and also emailed to students, faculty and staff when necessary.
In addition, UB Police have launched a very successful public awareness campaign to make students aware of their vulnerability to automobile break-ins. As part of the in initiative, University Police distribute thousands of “vehicle-burglary report cards” to staff and student vehicles parked in South Campus lots. The flyers provide tips on how to prevent theft of personal belongings from parked cars.
How is UB raising awareness about the need for personal safety and proper behavior in University Heights?
UB continues to reach out to students and residents with information and guidance on how to safeguard their personal safety and property. Every fall UB distributes nearly 3,000 safety and “how to be good a neighbor” kits (http://www.buffalo.edu/news/10386) to students and residents in the neighborhood. UB also has organized a “Neighbor’s Day Block Party and Safety Fair” to deliver additional safety information to students and residents.
Students and residents are reminded to be aware of their surroundings and follow these safety tips (http://www.student-affairs.buffalo.edu/public-safety/pst.php) recommended for being safe in any community: don’t walk or run alone, especially at night; immediately leave an area or situation that feels unsafe; leave lights on in entry ways and lock up your residence when going to bed or leaving; stay in well-lit areas.
Why doesn’t UB’s campus police department regularly patrol the University Heights neighborhood?
SUNY Police are limited by law to having jurisdiction over the campus and the adjacent streets. However, UB police officers are authorized to assist Amherst, Buffalo and NFTA officers during patrols, arrests and investigations, and they often do. Because of this arrangement, UB was able to launch joint patrols in University Heights, Thursday through Saturday nights, with officers from the Buffalo Police Department and NFTA.
To make UB police even more available to assist in peak times, University Police have added additional officers to the 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. patrol on UB’s campuses. This staffing upgrade was made in response to feedback from residents of the University Heights and the campus community.
How safe is the University at Buffalo?
UB’s annual on-campus crime statistics are consistently very low and, in fact, our crime rate is significantly down from 10 years ago. UB’s University Police department is state-accredited and is one of the best campus police departments in the state. University Police (http://www.student-affairs.buffalo.edu/public-safety/) consists of 61 highly trained professionals who provide around-the-clock service to the university community.
What is UB doing to improve quality of life and community relations in University Heights?
Improving the quality of life and relationships in the neighborhood is a priority of UB’s community outreach. Working with community leaders and neighborhood residents, UB has implemented several initiatives that are having a positive effect on the neighborhood and its relationship with the university. These include:
- On going grass-roots collaboration with community groups, such as University Heights Collaborative and the University Heights Community Development Association, to encourage dialogue and creation of mutually beneficial solutions.
- Increased funding for the Home Loan Guaranty Program, an initiative to encourage UB employees to purchase homes as a means of stabilizing University Heights and other neighborhoods around UB’s South Campus.
- Creation of a “problem properties” task force to address safety and quality-of-life issues that arise in and around rental properties within the neighborhood.
- Creation of a neighborhood-safety task force to develop strategies for how UB community members and the City of Buffalo can reduce the incidence of crime in the neighborhood.
- Creation of a Community Relations Advisory Council to focus on issues of concern to community members and how UB can improve its relationship with the community.
- Creation of free community events, such as the “UB on the Green” summer concert series and a community Farmers Market, which gives neighborhood residents an opportunity to enjoy the UB South Campus and also helps to build good community relationships.
- Creation of a quarterly “UB Neighbor” newsletter mailed to 16,000 residences in University Heights and near the South Campus, updating them on UB’s community-relations initiatives and outreach on the South Campus and in the surrounding community.
Is UB abandoning its South Campus and the University Heights neighborhood?
Absolutely not. UB is investing millions of dollars in the South Campus, not abandoning it. We have 32 separate projects underway or set to begin on the South Campus, totaling more than $150 million (http://www.buffalo.edu/ubreporter/2009_05_06/construction). For example we’re building a $70 million School of Pharmacy, transforming Wende Hall into a new home for the School of Nursing, renovating Kimball and Squire halls, upgrading the campus’s underground infrastructure and completing transformation of Allen Hall into a new center for community activities.
As UB completes this work on the South Campus, we will add 2,000 more students, faculty and staff to the campus. This growth is expected to bring more homeowners and renters to the University Heights and generate business growth in the neighborhood’s business district.
As we achieve our UB 2020 plan to become a premier public research university and grow by 10,000 more students and 2,000 more employees, we expect UB’s economic impact on the region to grow from $1 billion to $2.6 billion. Much of this growth and economic spin-off is expected to be especially beneficial to neighborhoods and commercial districts bordering UB’s three campuses.
Why doesn’t UB buy the properties in the University Heights neighborhood, rent them to students and monitor their behavior?
As a state institution, UB simply doesn’t possess the resources needed to purchase large numbers of private residences and then provide the services required for this type of student housing. Instead, we have focused our efforts on encouraging faculty and staff to purchase homes in University Heights under UB’s Home Loan Guaranty Program (http://www.buffalo.edu/community/story_welcomehome.html). More than 20 UB employees have purchased homes around the South Campus through the program, joining nearly 500 of their fellow UB employees currently living in University Heights. We have a 5-year plan to interest many more employees in the program.
Shouldn’t UB be doing more for the University Heights neighborhood?
The issues within University Heights require long-term, community-wide solutions. UB is committed to developing and implementing such solutions in partnership with the community and the City of Buffalo.
For example, UB is investigating development of a University Heights neighborhood plan, in partnership with the City of Buffalo and community leaders. Such a plan would provide opportunities for University Heights to strategically leverage UB’s growth on the South Campus. In effect, this plan would be a blueprint for improving and attracting investment in the neighborhood and its commercial district. This plan would raise awareness about the needs of University Heights and provide opportunities for local and regional leaders to support and develop the neighborhood.
Find out what's happening in the UB South Campus neighborhood
