Local police are investigating several robberies connected to businesses close to Harding’s campus. On Jan. 12, a gunman entered and robbed the Subway on East Race Street. Midnight Oil coffeehouse tweeted on the morning of Feb. 1 that someone had broken in the night before. Most recently, the Country Mart on East Race Street was robbed at gunpoint on Feb. 3, as reported by the Daily Citizen on Feb. 4.
Director of Public Safety Craig Russell suggested a few tips to keep Harding students safe, both on-campus and off.
- Avoid areas around campus that are not well-lit, such as the edge of campus close to Beebe Capps and the intramural fields.
- Take advantage of the Courtesy and Safety Escort Program, which gives over 20,000 rides per year, when you need to get somewhere.
- Lock your cars to prevent theft.
- If you are being robbed, give them what they ask for. A wallet or money is not worth getting hurt over.
- If you are at the scene of a robbery, be observant so you can provide details to help investigators track down the culprit.
- Pay attention and be aware of your surroundings. That is hard to do if you’re texting or have earphones in.
- If you do see something suspicious, immediately report it to Public Safety. If you call quickly, then, Russell said, they can prevent something from happening. If you wait, they cannot.
- Take the same safety precautions off campus. Travel in groups and tell someone where you are going.
Story by Lyndsey Ruble and Lexi Stutzman
