Following a shooting of a student just blocks from campus last weekend, university administrators assured students that they are taking steps to improve security around campus during a town hall meeting in Sellinger Lounge on Wednesday.

“We met with the [Metropolitan Police Department] commander this afternoon and received a commitment for refocusing and balancing the strategy for enforcement in off-campus areas,” Darryl Harrison, director of the Department of Public Safety, said.

Harrison said that the university has tried expanded DPS patrols “to the extent that we can.” He said that, in the past several months, DPS has contracted a private security firm to guard LXR, expanded its SafeRides shuttle system and continued to coordinate with MPD to ensure adequate police presence off campus.

Ed Solomon, chair of the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission, said that members of the community have been working with university officials to ensure that students’ safety needs are being met.

“This is not just a university issue or community issue. It’s one issue,” Solomon said. “We don’t look at students or residents as separate when it comes to crime.”

Several students and administrators who spoke at the meeting, including College Assistant Dean Helen Karn, voiced concern that PD officials have not appropriately responded to severe safety threats around campus.

“I was shocked at the escalation [of crimes], not only in terms of numbers but also in terms of violence,” Karn said in an interview after the meeting. “We’re all shocked.”

MPD representatives did not attend the meeting and Second District Commander Robert Contee did not return phone messages seeking comment Thursday.

Michael Nacchio (COL ’06), the victim of a November assault in West Georgetown, said during the meeting that he was also concerned about MPD’s ability to protect students in the area east of campus.

“What disturbed me the most was if [my attacker] had a physical altercation after using a knife . that it was going to escalate and next time it would be a gun,” said Nacchio, who was stabbed in the arm by a man who had approached him asking for directions. “I’m afraid that next time it’s going to be murder.”

Both Harrison and Vice President for University Safety David orrell, however, stressed that the university has a strong relationship with MPD and that the police department will be intensifying its presence in areas near campus where crimes have been most prevalent.

“There was a clear recognition today that their focus was going to be on serious crimes,” said Morrell, who was present at the meeting between university safety official and MPD on Wednesday.

Morrell added, however, that MPD would continue to patrol for quality of life issues, such as noise and crowd control in the Georgetown area.

“In terms of this discussion on the balance between quality of life and reduction of crime, I don’t think there’s any question in Commander Contee’s mind that this is a serious issue,” Morrell said. “He told us, `Just like anything else, judge us by the results.'”

Last weekend, over 20 people, including students, were arrested on misdemeanor charges of public urination and open container violations near campus.

Although Charles VanSant, director of Off-Campus Student Life, said that all students “have a right to live in a place that is safe,” he implored students to watch out for their own safety.

“What has happened over the weekend – we had one victim, but we’ve all been affected by that crime,” he said.

“Be good neighbors,” VanSant said, “so MPD doesn’t have to devote their attention to parties and noise.”

Burleith Citizens’ Association President Lenore Rubino confronted previous questions regarding possible reservations from members of the Burleith community over the new SafeRides shuttles. She said during the meeting that the BCA is considering creating a Burleith student club to address the needs of students living in the area.

“When you weigh a life versus a party, there obviously is a lot more worth [to a life],” Rubino said.

“I don’t think it’s `either-or,’ just quality of life or protecting against crime,” Karn added. “Everyone has limited resources. It can’t just be DPS protecting us. . Everyone who is a part of the community has a part to help keep the community safe.”

Morrell said that the change to the SafeRides system arose from work with the Student Safety Advisory Board and the inability of DPS’s limited resources to handle the demand students were placing on SafeRides.

SafeRides driver Mike Yoler (SFS ’09), who spoke towards the end of the meeting, said that the overall service provided by the transportation system has been improved by the addition of the new shuttle loops.

“At first students didn’t know about the shuttles or how to use them,” Yoler said in an interview. “Now the station is telling people to use the shuttle and telling us to take calls that are further away.”