Homicide detective to offer crime tips to students

University Police organized the lecture after studentsUniversity Police organized the lecture after studentsasked for advice on how to handle attempted crimes. During a presentation on campus this week, Chicago homicide detective JJ Bittenbinder will use graphic examples from his 23-year career to teach students about avoidance of and reaction to violent crime. The lecture, to be held Thursday in Irvine Auditorium, was organized in response to student requests for advice on how to act in situations similar to last month's shooting of College senior Patrick Leroy. The lecture will cost the University $5,000, a $2,000 discount from Bittenbinder's normal speaking fee since University Police arranged the visit, Chief of Police Operations Maureen Rush said. Bittenbinder considers himself a "leading expert on crime and personal security," and has appeared on Good Morning America, Prime Time Live and numerous other news programs and talk shows. Faculty and staff who work late hours or live near campus have also become increasingly concerned about safety, after last week's murder of Medical School researcher Vladimir Sled at 43rd Street and Larchwood Avenue. To encourage them to attend next week's lecture, police are handing out event tickets at the Medical Center, Houston Hall and the Human Resources Office at 34th and Walnut streets, Rush said. Undergraduate Assembly members will also distribute tickets on Locust Walk, in Van Pelt Library and at the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs in High Rise North. Rush said if volunteers give away enough tickets, organizers may set up a satellite hook-up to show the event in other locations simultaneously. In addition to the scheduled speech, University officials are fine-tuning the Spectaguard detail in response to Sled's murder. Public Safety added three extra guards to patrol 43rd Street and the area between 38th and 40th streets from Sansom to Chestnut streets, Rush said. Algard noted that the University is conducting an ongoing review of the security companies it currently employs. Officials are considering retaining a single security company for the entire campus. Over Homecoming Weekend, an extra detail of seven Spectaguards patrolled campus from 33rd to 38th streets between Chestnut and Baltimore streets, Rush said. University Police officers continue to work overtime shifts to boost normal staffing levels, she added.

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