TCU students on high alert after series of burglaries
FORT WORTH - Texas Christian University students say they are on high alert after several burglary incidents were caught on video over the weekend. The incidents are raising the question of whether more needs to be done for safety around houses and apartments near the TCU campus.
"Just nerve-racking because it's like supposed to be a nice area because we're so close to TCU," says a TCU student, who lives in one of the homes where an attempted break-in allegedly happened.
A man is seen on the home's ring video trying to enter the front of the home late Friday evening.
Two students were awake at the time. They want to keep their identities hidden but tell CBS News Texas they also want to alert other students in the area.
"Obviously, it's scary to see someone walking around. Especially when all your roommates are inside the house for the night," says another TCU student.
According to the Fort Worth Police Department, another attempted burglary happened around 4 a.m. Sunday morning on the 3100 block of Sandage Ave. just blocks away from the TCU campus.
Students tell CBS News Texas they believe it could be the same suspect from Friday night.
Ring video from the second home shows a man trying to enter the back of the home with what looks like a gun in his hand. Another person is seen near the back gate in the same video. Fort Worth police are investigating the Sandage Ave incident. Investigators also add they arrested a suspect on the same night but have not confirmed if that is one of the people seen in the videos.
"What we're asking is, if anybody was out there that particular evening or is seeing something, we want you to say something. A lot of people put their heads in the sand, and they don't want to report certain things. But we're glad that, because of Ring footage, we were able to investigate it," says Officer Tracy Carter with the Fort Worth Police Department.
TCU student Chloee Reynolds says she has seen more TCU police patrolling the off-campus areas but has also noticed more crime happening as well.
"With being off the campus, we're not in the bubble of TCU. So, with all these girls in these houses living with friends, it's really hard to feel that protection," Reynolds adds.
Students also add there have been other burglary incidents this year and are now on high alert.
"We watch every car that drives by at night and just trying to keep the ring notifications on," says one student.
"We want to be as safe as possible. We know about other stories that have happened to other schools and we just don't want to be part of those numbers," adds another student.
TCU did send students a safety bulletin following the burglary incident on Sandage. TCU also sent CBS News Texas this statement:
"In cases of illegal or suspicious activity near campus, the TCU police department works closely with the Fort Worth Police Department to keep the TCU community as safe as possible. Important to our plan is working in tandem with local authorities who have jurisdiction over non-TCU properties adjacent to campus where many students choose to live.
The campus was quickly made aware of the incident via a Public Safety Bulletin. Impacted students have access to available resources, including the Counseling and Mental Health Center and providing temporary housing options if needed. We strongly encourage all students, regardless of place of residence, to keep windows and doors locked at all times. If off-campus, work with your landlord to ensure use of alarms, cameras and lighting to protect your residence. Always be alert to suspicious activity, which you should immediately report via the FrogShield app on campus (or 817.257.7777) and to 911 if off-campus."
Both TCU and Fort Worth Police departments are urging students to call them if they see or hear anything suspicious.