By Byron Harwell
On Tuesday, Associated Students Inc. (ASI) launched a safety fair, the first scheduled event of its second annual Crime Prevention Week.
Last year, Businessinsider.com ranked Fresno State for a short time as No. 19 among the country’s most dangerous schools.
“We’re owning up to it. This is a dangerous campus, and we are trying to address the issues now,” said Neil O’Brien, ASI community affairs coordinator.
“The university has been constantly putting events together that empower students to not become victims,” O’Brien said. “There are times where you’re going to need to empower yourself to protect yourself, and that is the kind of message we are putting together for this year’s Crime Prevention Week.”
The Police Science Institute was one of the outside organizations that were at the safety fair to promote defense tactics for students.
“We are offering various awareness courses for students and educators. We educate people about concealed weapons, first aid and CPR, and practical self-defenses,” said Steve Collins, an institute member.
“Students need to train, and they need to practice. [Otherwise], if they are attacked, they will go blank. Students have to prepared their mind as well as their heart,” said Evelyn Adams, another of the institute’s personnel.
The University Police Department had a booth at the safety fair to remind students about several safety tips.
“We constantly remind students to never walk alone, and if they don’t have someone to walk with, they can call the university police number [278-8400], and we can escort them to their destination,” said officer Tatevos Manucharyan.
A new university organization on campus, the Fresno State Gun Club, was at the safety fair to defend the Second Amendment — the right to bear arms.
“We’re advocates of the Second Amendment. We’re keeping our rights to own and possess a firearm,” said Josh Palmer, a gun club member.
Palmer said that they are wearing empty gun holsters as a protest against having a gun-free zone on campus.
“The gun-free zone takes away my right to defend myself by not being able to carry a gun, ” Palmer said. He said that there are people out there who are going to break the rules, and it is his right to protect the community with a firearm.
Crime Prevention Week will be hosting self-defense workshops with Mixed Martial Arts fighter Bas “El Guapo” Rutten today at the Student Recreation center at 2 p.m., 4 p.m., and 6 p.m.
A crime and safety seminar on Thursday with Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims will be the last scheduled event for ASI’s Crime Prevention Week, and it will be held in the Residence Dining Hall at 5 p.m.
For more information about ASI Crime Prevention Week, contact Mellissa Ellis at 559-278-7703 or email her at [email protected].