FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Young Razorbacks make their way up the hill as the University of Arkansas starts classes on Monday.
Many incoming freshmen and transfers have been moving into their new homes all week. The University of Arkansas put together A-Week to help students make their transition. Many activities and events are planned through Sunday, right before the first day.
The University Police (UAPD) will also be hard at work, deploying operation saturation. Extra uniformed officers will be deployed across campus to help and inform students about their campus.
One of the biggest lessons they want students on the Hill to learn is how to cross the street safely.
"Sometimes you know, the cell phone or other distractions just interfere, and knowing that a pedestrian has the right away in a crosswalk still doesn't prevent distracted drivers from impacting them. So from a safety standpoint, that is one of the most dangerous things on campus, just crossing the street," UAPD Police Captain Gary Crain said.
Local police also expressed the need for students to watch their belongings. As they describe it, as students arrive on campus, so do criminals.
"We've had a couple of bicycle thefts already. And so we try to let everyone know, you really have to protect your belongings. Don't leave valuables in the car in plain sight, lock your doors— that type of thing. Just be careful and maybe pay more attention to things than you did when you were living at home," Crain said.
There is an app that UAPD wants every student to have called SafeZone. It allows students to make an emergency call, send tips anonymously, take photos of suspicious things, or even set a timer for someone to come check on you if you don't make it to a destination.
Beyond the UAPD jurisdiction, there's one area that students will learn is just a few steps away from campus: The entertainment district. Amongst the areas students can explore, the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) says they have a close eye on Dickson Street.
"We do have officers assigned to the entertainment district. And we will have underage patrols going on down there looking for underage drinkers. So we know all the tricks and trades about the fake IDs and stuff like that. So we'll be looking for those. If the students are watching this, we know that you have fake IDs and we'll be out there looking for them, so don't even try," FPD Sgt. Anthony Murphy said.
Sgt. Murphy explained that it's easier than ever to drive sober with many rideshare options available.
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