Attention Saint Louis University Community
A couple of weeks ago I posted about a brochure from A.G. Edwards that scares employees to they avoid the areas surrounding the headquarters and most likely much of the city. A few people commented how Saint Louis University, also in Midtown, sends out information on local crimes, having the same effect.
Today St. Louis University’s Director of Public Safety Jack A. Titone sent out the following:
September 28, 2005
Attention Saint Louis University Community
Crime AlertAt about 5:50 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, at an off-campus location, a woman not affiliated with the University was the victim of a “Strong-Arm Robbery.” The victim was walking to her car parked on the Drake Apartment’s parking lot when an unknown suspect suddenly snatched her purse.
The suspect then jumped into a vehicle and fled the area. The St. Louis Police Department is investigating the incident. The victim was not injured, and no weapon was displayed.
The subject is described as a black male, 40 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall, medium build, large belly, wearing a white t-shirt and gray pants. He was last observed entering a beige Lincoln Town Car, bearing Missouri license plate No. 667LGC.
The driver of the vehicle only is described as a black male with short hair. The vehicle was last seen traveling at a high rate of speed west in the 3400 block of Olive Street. As of this alert posting, the subjects remain at large. If you observe this vehicle, please call 911 immediately.
Although this purse snatching did not occur on campus or involve a member of the University community, the department of public safety is bringing this to your attention because it is the department’s philosophy to keep you informed of incidents that occur near the campus.
DPS recommends that members of the University community utilize their escort service late at night. To arrange an escort, please call (314) 977-3000.
Jack A. Titone
Director of Public Safety
When I was in college I never got emails like this. Of course, that is due to the fact that email didn’t exist back then…
Crime happens. It happens in the city and it happens in the suburbs. People need to be aware of their surroundings. But scaring faculty, staff and students to the point they avoid the areas around the campus only serves to create vacant sidewalks and encourage more crime. If the blocks around the campus were thriving with students you’d see a drop in crime because it would be harder for criminals to get away without having tons of witnesses. Purses are generally not snatched on populated sidewalks.
And while we are on the subject of SLU’s “public safety” department I’d love to see them 1) use their seatbelts when driving on public streets as required by Missouri law, 2) use their headlights when it is raining, snowing or getting dark – again as required by Missouri law and 3) ride their patrol bicycles per the rules of the road. Yes, as required by Missouri law.
SLU is doing its students, staff and faculty as well as the entire City of St. Louis a disservice. It is pointless to be located in the city and do things that prevent the city from deriving any benefit. We don’t get property taxes from the many properties SLU owns. If we scare people away so they spend their money in the suburbs it doesn’t really do any good for them to be here.
– Steve
You are correct, SLU should not warn its students or faculty of anything unseemly happening in the area. Afterall, there are only parents who are spending $20,000+ a year to send their children to the school. That by no means gives the University any reason to concern itself with their safety. I think the school should take a page from the SLPD’s playbook and not report and shootings, rapes, or assaults in the area. Afterall it would only scare people.
I’m sure you can feel my sarcasm. The Univeristy has a responsibilty to its faculy, staff, students, and parents to do what it can to keep them safe. And whether you like it or not that responsibility overrides its responsibility to the city.
As a previous poster to your site mentioned, the University could have moved out of the city years ago. But it didn’t. It did not flee the city when the Grand Center neighborhood went to hell. In fact, under the current administration they have taken an active role in being a part of efforts (however poorly planned and likely to fail) to revitalize the area.
On SLU’s campus there are thousands students who may have only moved to the area in the past couple of months. These students do not know what areas of town are unsafe. In fact, if they are from rural areas, they may not even think to notice certain suspicious activities. The University could tell the students to just flood the streets at all hours of the day and night, keeping their bloodshot, beer-goggled eyes out for trouble. But that is both unrealistic and overly idealistic.
I understand that SLU is not as urban-friendly an organization as you might like (funny how you never seem to complain about Wash U). But to actually criticise the school for warning its students of crime in the area is silly.
Wouldn’t efforts to publicize the lack of development efforts north of Delmar, or the lack of involvement in community organizations in the city be more pressing issues?
It just seems as though you ignore some issues while going after SLU at every opportunity.
I’m spending my own $20,000 to go to SLU, not my parents, and I think that SLU’s crime reports are a bit overblown, personally.
I do not think it is unrealistic or idealistic to state that a school with as many students as SLU has (6,000 undergrads) cannot foster the development a safer neighborhood by promoting its students’ patronage of neighborhood businesses.
The above response to Steve’s post is a bit naive, in my opinion. I’ve come across several “rural” students as well as students from other metro areas who have heard what most of the rest of the nation has heard about St. Louis: that it’s one big ghetto. Most students at SLU tend to lean towards an all-ghetto vision of St. Louis moreso than an uninformed, everything’s-okay perception. I think that fact that St. Louis’s reputation precedes itself is especially amplified by SLU’s rural student base, the ranks of whom don’t have much urban experience and probably generalize toward the negative.
St. Louis University, which is effectively the controller of Midtown St. Louis, should make it a special point to emphasize its location’s history, its city’s culture and amenities. SLU security reports, which I have received in the past, have included tips for safety that basically indicate one should not walk around alone at night and should avoid going off campus at all. If SLU really helped Midtown so much, then, directing this statement toward the above poster, you’d not be posting about how SLU parents should fear for their kids’ safety.
Yes, SLU has probably saved Midtown from being a complete ghost town. Yes, SLU has invested in the neighborhood. But Steve’s site is all about the encouragement of urbanity in St. Louis. Scaring students away from exploring what used to be (and could still strive to be) one of the country’s most bustling and vibrant urban districts–Midtown St. Louis–is certainly a disservice to the urban environment.
It’s not just DPS, either, as I’ve noted before on this site. The University’s faculty promotes paranoia about the surrounding neighborhood. A class called SLU 101 also helps spread panic among students. It’s instructed by upperclassmen and is taken by freshman in their first semester. A lot of questions are generally asked regarding St. Louis nightlife and where to go and not go. Well, some kids are warned that they will be “shot” if they venture up or down Grand.
SLU breeds a culture of fear in its students. I’ve said it a thousand times, but I will repeat it: nothing communicates isolation better than black iron gates (which adorn the boundaries of the campus). Further, if you want to examine SLU’s absolute ravaging of the urban landscape of Midtown, you may go to builtstlouis.com and review a photo essay of sorts that the author of that site has. In it, he shows just how much of SLU’s campus has become a haven for parking and parks–“parkland”, I believe he calls it.
SLU’s anti-urban campus design only further contributes to its isolation from the neighborhood. Who is going to want to walk at the corner of Compton and Olive when all there is is a parking garage and a gas station? Walk a little further south on Compton and you see an unused park and several ball fields. So why do “Grand Center” and “SLU-Midtown” seem so isolated despite their immediate physical connection via Grand? You won’t see too many SLU students–presumably many of which are creative enough for an “Arts District”–populating the sidewalks of North Grand. Why? Does SLU not believe in its urban location? Does SLU see sending students out on the streets as a liability? Perhaps. But then, is SLU such a great institution for Midtown?
Certainly I’m not suggesting SLU leave Midtown. Nor would I say “good riddance” out of spite if it ever did. The loss of SLU would have been or would be devastating to the city. That much is obvious. But how hard would it be to support the neighborhood rather than withdraw from it?
I’m a huge Radiohead fan, and I’ve suggested this analogy before to those who have listened through my rants. For those of you familiar with the song “My Iron Lung,” SLU is Midtown’s Iron Lung. Midtown is still breathing because of SLU, but it allows the neighborhood to survive when it could let it do more than just breathe. (Sorry for the corniness–I couldn’t resist.)
😉
“I do not think it is unrealistic or idealistic to state that a school with as many students as SLU has (6,000 undergrads) cannot foster the development a safer neighborhood by promoting its students’ patronage of neighborhood businesses.”
I meant that I do not think it is unrealistic to state that a university as large as St. Louis University CAN foster the development of a safer neighborhood.
Sorry.
Last I heard the undergrad population of SLU was more like 11,000, though I assume you are referring to the 6,000 or so who live on campus. But that only add to your points ‘Misguided’.
“You won’t see too many SLU students–presumably many of which are creative enough for an “Arts District”–populating the sidewalks of North Grand.”
My question to you on this point is, why would they? Keep in mind that most college students do not have the money or the inclination to take in ‘cultural activities’ more than say once per week if that. I’ve walked Grand plenty of times personally both as a student and since then. Gary’s is s nice restaurant. The micropark across from the Fox is interesting. If someone was interested in atchitecture they’d have something to do. But other than that, what is there? Churches, a so-so coffee-shop, the St. Louis Health department building, museums/theatres, and nightclubs that are closed during the day and priced out of the typical college students range. Where is the comedy club, the bar, the bookstore, the market? Urbanist tend to wrongfully assume that people will populate the street at night even if there is nothing on the street for them to be doing.
Don’t get me wrong, that is Grand Center Inc’s fault. They are the ones who insist that Grand Center must be a ‘destination neighborhood’ and not a real neighborhood. In the end though there is a reason that you’ll find more SLU students walking west on Olive (towards the Moolah and shopping) or on Laclede (by the bars)than will north on Grand or east on Olive.
And there are more incidents of crime on Laclede than on any other street around campus. It may be the most used street to boot.
As for the knowledgeable students who do not need to be informed by campus security of issues. Four years ago the university had to take special action on on-campus burglary. Why? Because freshman were leaving their doors unlocked at all hours and stealing from each other. Doesn’t sound like the action of street-smart and savvy youths to me.
“Urbanist tend to wrongfully assume that people will populate the street at night even if there is nothing on the street for them to be doing.”
Or…is there nothing on the street because the behemoth institution located in or near the District promotes the belief in its students that they’ll be shot if they venture into it?
Just in case you didn’t figure it out, I’m also “Misguided Planning Student”.
Becker: I want to apologize if you took my post as a personal attack. I really feel that Midtown has a lot of untapped potential. SLU could help to fix that. Surely we’d agree on that, right?
No worries Matt, I find it to be a thought-provoking discussion. Not an attack. I’m sure we have the same hopes for the area.
I would be interested in hearing your (and Steve’s) thoughts on my opinion of Grand Center Inc. I feel the organization is failing the area by trying to make it a ‘destination’ rather than a place to live.
The Pulitzer and Fox are wonderful but they just aren’t going to get students in all that often.
Afterall, SLU students are fickle I’m sure we can both agree. The school can hardly get their students to go to basketball games, and they provide free tickets AND rides to the areana.
I think the continuing success of Vito’s restaurant shows that students will support near campus establishments regardless of what the university says about the streets. However, such establishments need to provide something the students want.
However, the failure of the on-campus Pasta House (which may have been due in part to the parent company’s problems, I don’t know) is less encouraging.
“I would be interested in hearing your (and Steve’s) thoughts on my opinion of Grand Center Inc. I feel the organization is failing the area by trying to make it a ‘destination’ rather than a place to live.”
I fully agree with you. Actually, Vince Schoemehl (former mayor and current CEO of Grand Center, Inc.) came to speak at a Local Government class I had last semester. While there, he told our class that Grand Center’s most profitable venture was surface parking (as opposed to nearby garages). He said that Grand Center could not take off because of the price of parking–but that Grand Center INC. could not do anything without the funds from the parking charges. Quite the conundrum, huh?
Well, without a business background, I’m sure I’d have to soften my attacks on Grand Center, but, you’re completely right. Grand Center is an event-driven venture rather than a true destination. It’s certainly not a neighborhood with nightlife. These types of “arts” districts have been under attack for a while now, I believe. One of my past professors said that there was an article out that examined the rises and falls of “arts districts” and it spoke about why they often don’t work. I never got around to digging it up, but I may try to find it now that we’ve brought this up again.
As Schoemehl pointed out, you have to cater to the automobile, which is difficult and costly. You have to make it so that people don’t say, “Why don’t I go somewhere else where I don’t have to pay to park?” Schoemehl also stated that it is difficult to get a restuarant down there because of that same reason–who wants to pay extra to park and then also have to pay for dinner?
That’s why I think SLU students are Grand Center’s greatest opportunity. SLU students would not need cars. A lot of the students there do have somewhat high discretionary incomes. Some of the students live on campus and thus could sustain many businesses into the late night. Coffee shops marketed to SLU students could stay open all night. A grocer could move on Grand (or some nearby street) at the street level and service the students. An independent or chain book store, a movie rental place…anything could go into this center if SLU would pledge support and if Grand Center would allow something non-event based to take up space on Grand. SLU and Grand Center could partner up and could even offer incentives for SLU students, faculty, and any other prospective residents to live in some of the Midtown high rises, including the Metropolitan.
Of course, this is all being very optimistic, but it can’t hurt, right?
Some points so far are right on top of things. Some points make me wonder if the poster has ever even BEEN to Grand Center, or SLU.
“A lot of the students there do have somewhat high discretionary incomes.”
First of all, I’ve yet to meet a student whose Mummy and Daddy pays for everything, and therefore has such high discretionary income. Most students are from middle to upper-middle class families, and those families have a hard enough time paying the 36,000 a year (including room and board) to send their kid to SLU.
“Some of the students live on campus and thus could sustain many businesses into the late night.”
True. I’m an Employee of CBW on Lindell and Vandeventer, and when SLU is on break, the store is dead. Otherwise, it’s too busy to even think about without near crying. But then again, students only go to local businesses that they want, need, and like. The Fox is one such business that although a very small population may want and like, do not necessarily need. I’ve been to the Fox once, to see Wicked sometime last year. I NEEDED to go. It’s Wicked.
I didn’t see another student in that audience, which is wierd, because Wicked is especially popular with college-aged people. Why? Well, my ticket (in one of the last rows) put me out $45 dollars. Ouch. OUCH! I saved every spare penny for weeks trying to fork up that much. You think that SLU students have discretionary income? Think again! Most of us can’t afford even “free” events, because they interfere with work hours. (Of course, most is a relative term. I can’t say that I’ve polled the 11,000 students here, I can say what I do know from acquaintances and neighbors)
“Coffee shops marketed to SLU students could stay open all night.”
There was one, called Quotations. It was as busy as would be expected of such a coffee shop. It went out of business last year.
“A grocer could move on Grand (or some nearby street) at the street level and service the students.”
The Schnucks on Lindell is a mile and a half away from the northwest edge of campus. I walk there, although from my on-campus apartment, its three miles.
“An independent or chain book store,”
Barnes & Noble on Grand
“a movie rental place”
Blockbuster on Lindell, near the Schnucks
“SLU and Grand Center could partner up and could even offer incentives for SLU students, faculty, and any other prospective residents to live in some of the Midtown high rises, including the Metropolitan.”
They do. Check out Front Door, LLC.
Anyways, point being and point blank, if you LIVED here, as I do (Laclede and Comton), you might know that not only is there no > for that development, but the money can’t come from the students. We spend too much going to SLU.