In light of the increase in crime in the Borough of Carlisle and on campus, the Carlisle Police Department (CPD) and Dickinson Public Safety (DPS) have boosted their patrols and have maximized cooperation both on campus and in the community.
The majority of the crimes happening in the Carlisle community involve shootings and property thefts, explained Stephen Latshaw, Administrative Lieutenant of CPD.

A Dec. 4 article in the Carlisle Sentinel reports that gun-related charges have increased in Cumberland County. A total of 60 firearm cases have been filed in the county as of Dec. 2, compared to 56 cases in 2014 and 42 in 2013.

“We have shootings every year, just not five or six in a week…. There are usually a few reasons, whether it’s money, drugs, or conflicts between people,” said Latshaw about why there has been a surge of incidents taking place in the community.
In response to these crimes, the police department has enlisted the assistance of sheriffs department, state police, drug task forces and U.S. Marshalls.

“We have beefed up patrols, we are using other investigating techniques along with other outside agencies to help us,” Latshaw said. “We believe that some of these folks, that are involved in this, are on probation, are on parole, and we’ll continue doing what we do until we rectify the problem.”

Dolores Danser, chief of Public Safety, said there has been a “significant increase” in bicycle thefts on campus. She believes that the stolen bicycles are usually left unlocked, but now perpetrators have started to use bolt cutters to destroy locks.

“Other thefts of personal property, whether it be laptops, wallets or cell phones, have occurred in the library,” Danser said about recent crime trends on campus. “[All of these] were involving people who left their property unattended for a couple of minutes or a couple of hours.”

DPS, along with CPD, have boosted their patrols and sent Red Alert emails to students and faculty, informing them of the incidents that have been taking place in the community. New security cameras have also been installed, in addition to the already existing ones, both on campus and in town. According to Latshaw, the newest surveillance camera has been installed as a joint effort with DPS at Church Avenue and South West Street.

Danser and Latshaw both list community members, both students and local residents, as aids when it comes to learning about crimes.

“If you see something, say something,” Latshaw said. “Even if you don’t know anything specific…. Sometimes it’s just the little things that push an investigation further and makes it all happen…. You should just call the police…a traffic stop [could] lead to $300,000 worth of heroin, when you stopped them because their taillight was out.”

In addition, Danser believes there are six crucial steps students should take to remain safe.

“Don’t walk alone after dark, stick to the heavily travelled and well-lit areas,” Danser said. “[Choose] main streets like High Street [which have] CPD cameras. Utilize the Safety Shuttle. Don’t be afraid to call Public Safety, when the Safety Shuttle is not working, for an escort.”

To prevent bicycle and personal item theft, Danser recommended that students buy U-shaped locks for bicycles, register bicycles with DPS and record or memorize their bicycle’s serial number. She also discouraged students from leaving “your personal belongings unattended even if you are in a campus building.”

“[Lastly,] if something doesn’t feel right, or someone doesn’t look right, call us, don’t wait,” Danser said. “Nothing is too silly to call about. Believe me, we respond to everything!”

Suspicious activity should be reported to DPS at (717) 245-1111, Mike Guido, captain of Law Enforcement Operations and Patrol, at [email protected] or Dolores Danser at [email protected]. Carlisle-area reports of suspicious activity should be reported to the Borough of Carlisle Police Department at (717) 243- 5252 or to Lieutenant Stephen Latshaw at (717) 240- 6603 and [email protected].

Students wishing to remain anonymous are still able to report suspicious activity by using the Anonymous Tip Form on the DPS website. If someone has an urgent issue to report, they should call DPS at (717) 245- 1111 and opt to remain anonymous by not giving their name to the officer.