Letter To The Editor: Overtime Costs for City Police Are Partly Paid For by UMW

Dear Editor,

In the battle between UMW students and the Fredericksburg community residents, the UMW administration has given up. The administration has consistently sold the students down the river and has done little to protect our rights as Fredericksburg residents.

First, Fredericksburg Police have increased their presence in the areas surrounding the college on party nights and UMW has agreed to pay for half of the overtime costs. Since the police increased their presence on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, students have repeatedly been stopped and interrogated by the police. The police have unfairly targeted UMW students and rather focus on busting parties rather than stopping the string of robberies or drug related crimes that have plagued the area.

In addition, UMW also pays half of the salary of a full-time parking enforcement officer to patrol around the campus. UMW contributes over 100 million dollars a year to the local economy and provides invaluable services to the community. Why is UMW using our tuition money to pay for officers to get us in trouble for minor incidents or to enforce the extremely strict parking laws? UMW is not a party school and very few students cause any troubles for the community. Why are we all having to pay to be unfairly targeted by the Fredericksburg police? If Fredericksburg has a problem with us, then let them pay for it.

Nick DeSarno is a senior.