While several West Campus complexes boast amenities such as pools, spas and fitness centers, building security seems to have fallen short on the high-priority list. The home invasion that occurred July 12 at Jefferson 26 and other recent reported burglaries in West Campus have some student residents questioning the current state of security in the densely populated area.
Popular choices among UT students include major corporate apartments in West Campus — such as Jefferson 26, The Quarters and The Block — that have exterior gates, garage gates and secured access to community amenities, but security remains lenient, said Patrick Courtney, vice president of operations at West Campus Living.
“From experience, security doesn’t typically seem like a high priority for the staff given how long it would sometimes take to process repairs,” Courtney said.
Courtney lived at Jefferson 26 the first year it was built while attending UT and said gates were often open or nonoperational, allowing access to virtually all 360 apartment units there. He also cites security breaches in the PIN code system, which are often left unchanged for months or an entire lease term and become widely circulated to allow entrance.
It was recently observed that several of these large complexes have multiple access points into the building that were left visibly unsecured. A passer-by could easily enter apartments such as The Block on 23rd, The Quarters Nueces House and Jefferson 26 through exterior gates propped open by rocks or misaligned gate doors that can’t fully be closed. Some complexes have doors designed to be opened by a key card, but a nonfunctional security system allows anyone to walk into buildings.
While some West Campus buildings offer little resistance for entering, safety and security starts with the resident, said Cathy Norman, president of University Area Partners, a West Campus neighborhood association.
“My experience both managing and living in student properties is that students are often lax about taking steps to secure their belongings and comply with security policies of their building,” Courtney said.
Mario Amare, a spokesman for San Miguel Management, which manages The Quarters apartments, encourages students to speak up.
“Students should understand their lease contracts and know management contact numbers,” Amare said. “We’re on call, we walk the building and will help.”
Reported burglaries happen not only in easy targets, such as the large corporate apartments, but also in smaller residences, Austin Police Department officer William Harvey said.
“West Campus is an entity in and of itself,” Harvey said. “There are many young adults living on their own for the first time. Crime occurrences in West Campus can be pretty random and can happen to anyone.”
APD officer Kelly LaHood said property crimes have increased in Austin, with vehicle and residence burglaries skyrocketing.
“Burglaries occur probably 300 times more in West Campus than the rest of Austin,” LaHood said. “From what I’ve seen, apartment complexes all try to help students stay safe, but it’s up to the students to lock their doors.”
Both officers Harvey and LaHood are central-west area commanders for APD, and said the region can be particularly vulnerable this time of year, when many students are moving in and out of apartments.
To improve safety for students, the populated region of West Campus will soon receive updated security features. Austin Public Works Department announced at a University Area Partners meeting Tuesday that the Rio Grande Street Reconstruction Project is scheduled to begin in September. Part of the project will involve replacing and adding street lights to protect pedestrians, project manager Jessica Salinas said.
Mike McHone, vice president of University Area Partners, remains optimistic about security.
“Population growth in West Campus has probably improved security,” McHone said. “There are more eyes on the street.”
