By Benjamin Janocha; The Whetstone

Sophomore Kaden Curtis was lounging in the Midnight Roast when he heard a student who works there said she saw a “sketchy person” loitering in the hall.

In the Underground hallway of the College Center, Curtis confronted a middle-aged white man, loitering and taking pictures of the bulletin boards.

The man told Curtis he had no affiliation with the college and left the Underground. Curtis informed Public Safety.

The man was intercepted on south campus by Public Safety Officer Lloyd Stafford who informed the man that he was not allowed on the property.

Stafford then visited the Midnight Roast to check on the students.

“The only public safety concern I have is the fact that anyone from off the street can access nearly anyplace on campus at any time,” adjunct Professor and former police officer Donald Lonski said.

Several students say they frequently see people who don’t belong on campus walking around.

“People walk through campus all the time,” senior Julius Johnson said.

Junior Grant Ford said that he sees locals on campus almost every day.

Ford said that if his peers are concerned about a suspicious person on campus to not approach them and inform public safety.

“[There is] no reason to risk your safety,” he said. “Even if they aren’t a bad person or have any bad intentions, security is trained for those situations.”

“I think they should inform people should inform [public safety] because they have the right equipment and ability to deal with something like that,” said Curtis.

Despite the frequency of locals walking through campus, Johnson said he still feels safe.

“In my opinion, the people in public safety are doing a great job,” Johnson said.

Public safety is frequently seen patrolling campus and communicating with students.

Maintaining a presence and report with students is a vital competent to maintaining a safe campus.

“Students can participate in public safety by reporting issues as they arise and to embody the ‘See Something, Say Something’ mentality,” Public Safety Director Garrick Cornish said. “Trust your instincts.”

Cornish urged students to be aware of their surroundings (“see something”) and to contact public safety (“say something”) if they have any concerns.