Students chant with signs outside of the UHPD building during the student protest for safety, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025 in Houston, Texas. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar

It goes without saying that our student body has suffered due to the rise of crime on campus. From the Moody Towers break-in on Aug. 27, 2024, all the way up to the recent robbery where a student was held at gunpoint on Jan. 14, our campus has been a target of relentless turmoil. 

UH has addressed these concerns through an email establishing various safety measures — setting up a police substation to be opened on Jan. 20, allocating a permanent budget to hire 80 security personnel and making plans to expand the main police station — but students are still uneasy. 

Students still feel unsafe.

It will be difficult to undo not only the culture of fear these incidents have created, but also the lack of trust students have in UHPD to protect those who are vulnerable. Right after the sexual assault happened in the Welcome Center Garage, UH heightened security in parking garages, and students could see security guards standing idly in our buildings. 

But in just a few weeks, if not months, that presence disappeared, and UH was seen as an easy target yet again. 

When one of our student reporters headed to the police station to attempt to speak with UHPD Chief Ceaser Moore Jr., he was told by staff that it wasn’t going to happen despite spending hours in the lobby. 

Is this how you treat members of the community? Hiding away in an office without addressing concerns? 

UH administrators are notorious for sending out emails rather than addressing the student body face-to-face. President Renu Khator earned $1,901,444 in 2023, which is more than any public university executive makes in the nation. That in itself should guarantee a higher commitment to student safety and their well-being. 

However, when a UH student was robbed on Jan. 14, rather than addressing the student body, Khator was too busy posting updates about the Farish Hall demolition on X. As UH spends $43 million dollars on the Centennial Project, it will mean nothing if students are too scared to enjoy the finished product. 

It seems like the only time students get to address our University leaders in person is at the Board of Regents meetings, but even then, students are met with obstacles. 

The last Board of Regents meeting was supposed to happen at the main campus, but was changed to the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Houston at the last minute, where only five students were able to speak. Students were rightfully upset, and it’s a recurring pattern of UH administrators handling business without taking into account student concerns. 

So what now? How can UH rekindle trust in the community? 

They can start by following through with their commitments. If they are going to hire 80 new security personnel, they should be patrolling in problem areas and be equipped to respond to any potential issues. In fact, UHPD usually hosts an annual “Walk in the Dark” program, but that was nowhere to be seen this year. UHPD should have taken the initiative to offer an opportunity for our UH community, especially in 2025, to let them know where they feel unsafe. 

Although UH is taking steps to increase its security, it will mean nothing if the security presence lasts only a few months. UH doesn’t need temporary solutions. We need our administrators to take a hard, no-tolerance stance on crime. If they don’t, our community will only continue to suffer.

editor@thedailycougar.com