It's been one year since the University of Tennessee Police Department added new security measures on and near campus, and officers said they're seeing some results.
"We have seen some successes in the area. For example, in Hodges Library where we targeted, we have seen a slight decrease in theft," UTPD Lt. Emily Simerly said.
Last year, officers began several informational sessions with students to understand how they can better protect the campus and nearby Fort Sanders.
They also started informing students on Facebook and Twitter by updating them on recent burglaries, assaults and other crimes.
"We encourage responsibility in their own decision making. Because the police, you can't be everywhere 24 hours a day. So people have to take accountability in their own actions," Lt. Simerly added.
It's the social media aspect that's spearheading the 2012-2013 school year's efforts for UTPD.
Lt. Simerly said this year, more updates are expected on Facebook. While that sounds simple, she said if students know about what's going on around their university, they can be more aware about their surroundings, and prevent possible future crimes.
"We intend to do more of that in the upcoming year. Officers at KPD and UT Police Department make a lot of good arrests every day, and we promise to get that information out," she said.
Other efforts to get the public informed include the introduction of an online mapping system informing the public on where crimes specifically occurred. Just like Facebook, Lt. Simerly said if the public knows what going on around them, students could possibly prevent future surroundings.