Group creates petition urging more safety measures at UGA in wake of Laken Riley's death

Wayne Ford, Athens Banner-Herald
·2 min read
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A nonprofit group in Athens is circulating an online petition aimed at seeking more safety enhancements on the University of Georgia campus.

SafeD Athens Inc., formed in 2021, is proposing additional safety measures following the Feb. 22 slaying of nursing student Laken Riley, 22, on the UGA campus.

“Not all crime can be prevented, but layered levels of deterrence can make a significant difference,” according to a release from SafeD Athens.

Riley was murdered while on a run at UGA's intramural fields off College Station Road. The next day, police arrested Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant living in Athens, for her homicide.

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“Trauma from crimes changes the trajectory of many students’ paths far too often. We are their voices,” said Lynn Gainous, co-founder of SafeD Athens Inc.

SafeD also works with UGA Parents for Safety and Security, which is a Facebook group open only to parents. The groups are not directly affiliated with UGA or Athens-Clarke County.

Gainous said the parents’ group is a Facebook site only, but SafeD, while it is on Facebook, is also a working group of faculty, students and alumni, which was created as a nonprofit. The group was modeled after a similar one at the University Texas in Austin, she said.

SafeD reported it supports UGA’s recent announcement about $7.3 million in safety measures on campus, but the group has suggested more measures.

The petition makes some of the following recommendations:

  • Create an independent security risk assessment on UGA property with an emphasis on crime deterrence.

  • Create environmental designs, including buildings and public areas, to deter criminals.

  • Partnership with Athens-Clarke police to allow all UGA properties to be monitored in real time through the new ACCPD crime center.

  • Create a safety ambassador program now used in more than 140 cities and universities to provide walking escorts.

  • Extend UGA police patrols beyond the borders of the campus.

The petition can be accessed at: https://change.org/safedathens/.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Nonprofit group creates petition urge more safety measures at UGA