Police Services cancels safety workshop

EDITOR's NOTE: This article originally published on AccentAdvocate.com on Nov. 17, 2011.

Police Services Lt. Jose Oliveira paced up and down the Fireside Room alone at 1 p.m. Wednesday waiting for anyone to walk through the door.

The walls of the empty room echoed the conversations and occasional shrieks coming from the Amphiteatre and Student Dining Room and Oliveira canceled the unattended "Playing It Safe" workshop at 1:15.

"People really do feel safe on campus," said the lieutenant who has covered Contra Costa College for 16 1/2 years. "If there was a lot of concern and outcry people would be here."

This was the second safety seminar Oiveira has hosted this semester and he said the two covered the same material – robberies.

Four students were robbed by Oct. 5, and that number has not increased, near campus so far this semester. Oliveira also said the number of laptop thefts were higher at other campuses in the district than at CCC.

Less than a dozen total people came to the first workshop of the semester, which was only advertised through an email sent through the campus email, InSite Portal, on Oct. 4.

Notification for this month's event included an email sent out last week as well as signage across campus posted by Student Life Coordinator Kelly Ramos and student police aides, Oliveira said.

Oliveira said Police Services will have more of these events in the spring, starting with three seminars during the third week of the semester and one a month afterward.

"That time of the semester there are a lot of people on campus used to going to orientations," Oliveira said. "Better luck next time."