Thefts from UNT students are constant. Although the authorities relaunched the safe corridor measure, the solution generates distrust among the students consulted by LA GACETA.
Whether during the morning, afternoon or night, insecurity stalks the students of the Dr. Julio Prebisch University Center, headquarters of the National University of Tucumán (UNT) located in the 9 de Julio Park. There is a perception among the students who circulate there that they can become victims. The state of alert is not limited only to walks or waiting for the bus, but persists even inside buildings. It is that those attending the faculties of Philosophy and Letters; Psychology; Dentistry and Physical Education know that assaults in the 9 de Julio Park area are common episodes.
WhatsApp groups register concern. In them word spread about the cell phone thefts that occurred between May and June. By virtue of this, the Filo, Psico and Odonto student centers sent a request to the UNT Rectorate. The note requests security measures in the area of Benjamín Aráoz Avenue from the Terminal. A few days later, the authorities announced the return of the safe corridor that operated intermittently during the years 2018, 2022 and 2023.
A USUAL ROUTE FOR THEM. The safe corridor seeks to cover the entire Benjamín Aráoz. / JOSÉ NUNO, LA GACETA.
The decision implies the presence of police in the space that extends from the El Bajo roundabout to Police Station 11, and covers the entire Benjamín Aráoz. But students distrust that solution. An informal survey carried out by LA GACETA revealed that many believe that it is a good measure as long as it is a long-term initiative and the police remain on guard throughout the day. Some said that they already noticed more police presence and that is also seen in the photos taken by LA GACETA this Monday after the XXL weekend, although the survey also revealed that a good part of the students were not aware of the measure.
“For me it is a whole verse. I never saw the supposed police. During the siesta, when they steal the most, they are not there,” he criticized Irupé Arroyo, Literature student. She takes the bus to Alderetes at the Physical Education stop, where attacks recently occurred. Irupé said that it seemed safer to her to stay at the Philosophy and Letters stop. “Sometimes I prefer to go through the center and go all the way around rather than waiting on the other side,” she said.
EVERYDAY DANGER. The Filo bus stop brings together students of Philosophy and Letters, Dentistry and Psychology. / JOSÉ NUNO, LA GACETA.
There will also be cameras
Regarding the new version of the safe corridors, it is known that during the first and second week of June there were meetings to plan the implementation. In one of them, on Thursday, June 6, at the Honorable Superior Council of the UNT, the general secretary José Hugo Saab confirmed that “a permanent presence mechanism was established in the area of the four academic units as a preventive or precautionary measure against theft.” He also stated that he had spoken with the deans and that they had recognized the decrease in insecurity in the vicinity of the Prebisch Center.
Saab maintained that this measure will be joined by student campaigns on the use of cell phones at stops, where to leave and at what time. Last Thursday there was another meeting to finish coordinating the details. Some of those who participated were the heads of the district, of Police Station 11, and the deans of the faculties of Philosophy and Letters, Sergio Robinand Physical Education, Raul Lischinsky. After the meeting, the authorities assured that the security cameras will begin to operate.
PREVENTIVE MEASURE. The police are already guarding the area, however, the students do not trust them to be there for long. / JOSÉ NUNO, LA GACETA.
The announced initiatives generate debates among students. Some are satisfied: others, not so much. They also propose other ideas, such as improving lighting in the Park area and controlling access to buildings.
Comebacks
The students consulted recalled the results of the safe corridors measurement in previous years. The first time was in 2018, after a student reported attempted abuse, but it did not last long. Four years later, with the return of post-pandemic presence, the number of police officers stationed at the Prebisch Center’s entrances increased again, but that did not continue either. More or less the same thing happened in 2023.
The students observe that, after a certain time, the forces disappear and the criminals regain ground. “They always say that they are going to increase security and there is never anyone,” he said along these lines, Lorenzo Pudinstudent at the Faculty of Psychology.
“I don’t think it will be maintained or constant, it will probably last a week,” he said. Mariana Cortez. “There are police when we start classes: they are there for a month and then they leave. It would be good if you could keep an eye on what happens in the Park because there are several of us who go to the Terminal. It would also be ideal for them to be up late because it is ugly to walk around when it gets dark,” he said.
Fatal minimal distractions
Mariana is a Communication Sciences student who suffered a robbery on Thursday, May 16. One of her friends, also a student at the faculty, witnessed an assault at 6:00 p.m. at the Physical Education bus stop. The two events happened that same week and with the same modus operandi.
Cortez related that she was robbed at 10 in the morning, when she was walking near Lake San Miguel and was almost arriving at the Faculty. “I saw a motorcycle pass by, but it was early and there was a lot of movement, so I wasn’t scared,” she said. A few seconds later, when she took out her cell phone to answer a message, the motorcyclist appeared again and snatched her cell phone. “He had many important notes and summaries. I did everything possible to find him. I filed a complaint, but I had no luck,” she noted.
BLEAK. Many students make the journey from the faculty to the terminal. / JOSÉ NUNO, LA GACETA.
This is not an isolated event. In WhatsApp groups, students constantly report different similar situations that happened recently. A university student who preferred to remain anonymous said that in Physical Education it is suspected that alleged thieves infiltrate student groups. Other victims even identified the motorcycle used to rob, whose driver attacks taking advantage of minimal distractions. Apparently, the Police also know who he would be, but they cannot arrest him because he is a minor.
Hands free, cell phone saved
According to the stories compiled for this report, thieves of different ages operate in the Prebisch Center area. On May 30 at 2 p.m., Selene Flores and his friends suffered an attempted robbery inside the Faculty of Physical Education. They were at the picnic areas and decided to leave their things to practice volleyball. After a while, one of the students realized that a stranger was near the bags. “It seemed strange to us so we approached, but the man got nervous and left on a motorcycle. When we went to see things, we realized that he opened a colleague’s bag and that he broke the zipper on the pocket of a jacket, where there was a cell phone,” Selene explained.
CONSTANT INSECURITY. The FACDEF was also the epicenter of robbery attempts. / JOSÉ NUNO, LA GACETA.
The Physical Education students had already been warned. The following notice circulated on messaging platforms: “Chics, be careful when you return home, they tried to steal my bag. “Be super attentive and don’t go with your cell phone in your hand.”
According to Selene Flores, we are reaching the point where it is necessary to scrutinize who enters the faculties and for what. “No one knows if someone is entering who wants to steal or do harm,” she said.
The existing insecurity in the surroundings of the Parque 9 de Julio faculties represents a significant challenge for students, teaching and non-teaching staff, and university authorities. The permanent feeling of danger not only affects the quality of life of the community, but also interferes with academic performance and learning, and can cause and increase psychological discomfort. Testimonies and direct observations reveal that there is much to do, and not only at the Prebisch Center. The persistence of the problem is saying something: safe corridors help, but, by themselves, they do not eliminate fear. The victims know it and, therefore, so do the perpetrators.
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