Gun violence threatens students
By Cole Parsons
Over a dozen Santa Clara Police vehicles surrounded a party on Bellomy Street last Friday. The police came to the house in response to conflicts which arose after three men at the party produced guns. Police methodically evacuated as many students as possible while searching for the three suspects. No arrests were made.
According to the Santa Clara Police Department Lieutenant Walt Rees, the three suspects were involved in a confrontation around 11 p.m., and were asked to leave the party. A shouting match ensued between some of the Condo residents and the suspects. The three men, believed not to be Santa Clara students, left the party, but several people within earshot overheard them discussing the possibility of returning with guns. They returned around 11:30 p.m. and rejoined the hundreds of students present. It is unclear whether or not they were armed.
The return of the suspects prompted three separate 911 calls. Over 15 SCPD officers were on the scene within minutes. Several officers entered the residence known as "Gravity House," herding students through the backyard and out onto Bellomy Street. It is believed that the suspects jumped over a fence upon the arrival of the police and fled the scene.
The incident has raised questions about safety around campus, and comes on the heels of a joint attempt by the SCPD and the university to increase student safety awareness. Over the past two weeks, members of student groups and university officials have teamed with local police officers and visited nearby student residences and freshman residence halls to pass out brochures, offer helpful hints and answer questions about community safety. The program has also given students the opportunity to interact with SCPD officers and improve upon the current hit-and-miss relationship.
"Santa Clara is a learning community, and part of our education is learning to be a good neighbor," Provost of Student Affairs Stephen Privett SJ. said.
Participating in the community walk-arounds were SCPD officers Brian Bell, Dennis Greeley and Rees. Also participating in the walk-arounds were Dean of Residence Hall Life Matthew Duncan, Student Body President Javier Benavidez, International Greek Council Representative Dave Thompson and Senate Chair Joe McNally.
"We are trying to take preventative measures instead of just waiting for something bad to happen," McNally said, who visited over 20 houses near campus three weeks ago. "The visits were very well received and allowed students to ask all the questions they don't usually get to ask."
Most students were surprised to hear about the gun threat, and say that they still feel safe around the university and the surrounding community.
"This sort of thing is an issue on any college campus," sophomore Julie Smathers said. "Fortunately, it seems to be a minimal problem here."
The Santa Clara community has seen very few violence related incidents in the past two years. The Safeway grocery store on The Alameda was robbed at gunpoint in October of 1998, and early in the spring of 1998, a knife was pulled during an altercation at a party held at "Oasis." No injuries occurred at either incident.