Campus Safety defines auto liability
Campus Times
March 20, 1998
Questions regarding auto and parking safety have arisen on the University
of La Verne campus and have forced University officials to take measures
to help students feel safer.
When entering most La Verne parking lots, students are reminded by signs
posted around the campus that "The University is not responsible for
damages to automobiles in this lot" and must use common sense and trust
to choose the least susceptible parking spot.
On Feb. 20, senior Cheyenne Pierce learned of the La Verne policy the
hard way as she returned to her Volkswagen 1997 Jetta at 6 p.m. and noticed
that almost the entire side of her car was damaged by scratches from a key.
When she filed a report with Campus Safety, Pierce believed she would receive
some money from the University's insurance, but was appalled to find out
that La Verne was not responsible.
Pierce said that she knows of three other automobiles that have been
keyed at ULV.
"I feel bad that the damage happened to her car, but she must have
assumed that our policy was different and that she was covered by the University,"
said John Lentz, director of campus safety and transportation.
Pierce said she must now pay roughly $1,100 and her insurance will go
up, but ULV is still sticking by its policy due to the fact that the overall
insurance policy of La Verne does not cover any vehicle theft or damages.
"I feel that the school should be responsible for the amount it
is costing me to repair it because it was parked on school grounds. They
[Campus Safety] felt the same way obviously or else they wouldn't have asked
me for an estimate," said Pierce.
Although flying baseballs and vandalism have a tendency to occur from
time to time on the La Verne campus, the set policy of the University of
La Verne is that the owner or driver of a vehicle is ultimately responsible
for any damages.
Campus Safety helps students to an extent by filing a report to verify
the damage or accident to the victim's insurance company, but have little
or no investigative power in solving a vehicle theft or vandalism.
"We follow up theft and vandalism to vehicles to a certain extent,
but our job is basically for statistical purposes," said Lentz.
According to Lentz, if a La Verne student is a primary suspect in a
vehicle crime or any other criminal activity, then Campus Safety has some
jurisdiction to follow up on the accusations, but any other investigation
is covered by the City of La Verne Police Department.
When a vehicle theft or vandalism occurs, students are asked to fill
out a report with Campus Safety, but are not required to do so. The report
is looked over by Lentz and is then collaborated with the La Verne Police
report to add two dimensions to the crime.
One common issue, among students, when dealing with the La Verne policy
of no responsibility, is that when problems occur there is no way to receive
monetary compensation from the University.
"Students are advised to call us first when theft or other problems
occur, but financially the report does not help them," said Lentz.
According to Lentz, the Campus Safety and University officials are trying
to help increase the students' sense of security by implementing changes
such as adding more street lamps to sidewalks and by patrolling more areas
of the campus on a regular basis.
"I believe that our job is to professionalize security and make
the La Verne campus as safe as humanly possible, and I believe we have done
a pretty good job," said Lentz.
Although Pierce's story is an unfortunate one, the truth is that La
Verne's campus is apparently growing safer. From January 1994 to January
1998, only four auto thefts have occurred and only 10 cases of extreme auto
vandalism have been dealt with by La Verne officials.
"For the most part, I think students feel safer and can feel good
about our department. I know I do," said Lentz.
