SPOUTS
Cook & Bergman
It’s not a talk show, but they are one of the best
diving duos in the nation. Erik Cook and Danny
Bergman are also complete opposites. PAGE 9
OPINION
Long-hairs needn’t apply
A law student is denied admission into class
because of his long hair. Columnist Tim Sullivan
debates the issue. PAGE 5
FRIDAY
January 22, 1999
Impending Doom
Windy and cold, high 31. Light snow tonight, low 20.
Dogs help cops take bite out of crime
German shepherds
add canine loyalty
to city’s police force
By Josh Funk
Senior staff writer
Two of the newest officers in the Lincoln
Police Department were imported from
Germany.
Though the two officers don’t know many
English words, their American partners are
not worried about communication problems.
They’ve already learned the 20 basic com
mands they’ll need.
But the two new guys, Kimbo and Unny,
are - almost literally - itching to get on the
job.
Kimbo and Unny are both German
Shepherds, and they are the newest K-9 offi
cers for the Lincoln Police.
The two new dogs were brought in to
replace two retiring K-9 officers.
Unny, who already had three years of
experience with the Keith County Sheriff’s
office before coming to Lincoln, would stand
expectantly by the door when his partner, Ed
Simpson, had to go to work without him.
Unny moved in with Simpson in mid
December, but they could not start training
together until this week.
Simpson, an eight-and-a-half-year-veter
an. is new to the K-9 team, so he and Unny
have started an eight-week training program
to learn how to work together.
Lincoln’s K-9 program started in 1983,
and now there are four dogs on the force,
Capt. A1 Soukup said.
All of the Lincoln Police K-9s are multi
talented with training in narcotics detection,
officer protection, building searches, tracking
people and general obedience.
K-9 jobs on the force are hard to come by,
Simpson said.
“I’ve always been interested in dogs and
Please see DOGS on 2
^MW
Lane Hickenbottom/DN
KIMBO, THE NEWEST member of the Lincoln Police Department, teams up with Officer
Tyler Dean to keep the streets of Lincoln free of drugs and criminals.
fewer crimes committed on campus in 1998
By Josh Funk
Senior staff writer
In 1998, crime continued to decline on
UNL’s campuses, as it has for the last six
years.
Statistics released Thursday show fewer
incidents of commonly committed crimes.
University Police cite several factors for
the decrease in crime including, but not lim
ited to, their programs.
Theft, the most common campus crime,
was reported 553 times in 1998 - down from
574 in 1997 and a peak of 978 in 1993.
“I think people are starting to take better
care of personal and university property,”
Sgt. Mylo Bushing said, “and they have been
better about reporting suspicious individu
als.”
Bushing said a few simple precautions
could help prevent most of the thefts that
occur on campus:
■ Lock up valuables or don't leave them
unattended, especially in residence halls,
cars and heavily trafficked areas such as the
Recreational Center.
■ Make sure valuables are out of sight.
■ Be aware of the surroundings.
University Police have been working to
take away the opportunity for thieves.
Bushing said police had success with
some new surveillance techniques last year
to catch thieves operating in parking lots.
Larcenies from cars constitute a large num
ber of the thefts on campus each year.
Sixty-three burglaries were reported in
1998, which is down from 75 the year
before.
But Bushing credits the Community
Service Officers that patrol campus for hav
ing the greatest impact on thefts and other
crimes since the program started in 1993.
“The presence of the CSOs in academic
buildings and residence halls has helped a
lot in securing those areas," Bushing said.
There were no first- or second-degree
sexual assaults reported on campus last
year, though there were five third-degree
sexual assaults.
This statistic may not be representative
of the sexual assaults on campus, he said,
because they are commonly not reported to
police.
“The thing with sexual assaults is that it
Please see CRIME on 2
Crime 101 I
Crime at UNL declined in 1998 in
almost all categories.
|Tl994:^1995^1996^79971;1998~|
Assault 35 35 )| 30 I! 26 !| 27
|| l\ (| ||
Thef?ny/ 714n 683:j 589j; 574 : 553
Alcohol 5 || 1 II 11 jj 80 54
|j (| jj j| i
Drugs 8 H 17 21 24 14
Source: UNL PD
Jon Frank/DN
Read the Daily Nebraskan on the World Wide Web at dailyneb.com
Education bills
may increase
NU efficiency
By IevaAugstums
Senior staff writer
This week, state legislators have introduced a series of
bills that could ultimately increase the efficiency of higher
education in Nebraska.
Senators say they have similar ideas when it comes to
restructuring the NU system.
University of Nebraska officials, on the other hand, are
unsettled about those same ideas.
“I think one needs to take a look at various possibilities in
an attempt to make us far more efficient,” NU President
Dennis Smith said. “There are many options. These bills are
one option.”
The Legislature has introduced five bills and two consti
tutional amendments directly involving higher education
and the university this semester.
One bill, LB631, sponsored by Speaker Doug Kristensen
of Minden, would make Chadron State and Wayne State col
leges part of the NU system. It would also turn Peru State
College into a community college.
Another bill, LB561, sponsored by Omaha Sen. Pam
Brown, would create the Higher Education Board of Regents
by merging the NU Board of Regents and the state colleges’
board of trustees.
My perspective is to have an overall vision tor higher
educ ation in the state,” Brown said. “I think that it is best
accomplished with these bills.”
Ron Withem, NU government relations director, said the
university will have an active role in how higher education
will be recognized statewide. Internal discussions about the
bills will take place in the near future, he said.
There already have been informal discussions between
state legislators and the two boards.
Members of the NU Board of Regents say they believe it
is too early to predict the type of impact the bills will have on
the university.
“At this point I am gomg to take a very neutral position,”
said Regent Nancy O'Brien of Waterloo. “I have not studied
the bills; I’ve only had them explained to me.”
Regent Don Blank of McCook said everyone needs to
look at the “big picture” before any decision is made.
“We should look at what is the best for the state of
Nebraska,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I support or oppose
them; I’m just saying these bills are worth looking at.”
UNL Chancellor James Moeser said he could not speak
for the NU system or the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,
but said he personally favors the two bills.
“There is a great deal to commend these bills. What we
would have is an efficient form of higher education with
equal governance,” Moeser said.
Regent Charles Wilson of Lincoln agreed.
“My personal view on the matter is everything but nega
tive,” he said. “These bills benefit the state.”
Wilson said his background as a member of the
Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education
from 1984-88 has helped form his opinions.
Under LB631, the Coordinating Commission for
Postsecondary Education would be eliminated through a
constitutional amendment.
“It’s the best interest in the state to consider a modifica
tion of higher education governance,” Wilson said. “This
would be a start.”
If the two boards merge and the commission is eliminat
ed, Smith said, the new board would be able to handle the
number of students effectively.
“A vast majority of students are already at the university,
and one governing body would be easier,” Smith said. “It
would decrease some of the administrative effort - conceiv
ably make us more efficient.”
Brown said the timing for these bills couldn’t be better.
“The big picture is the millennium - education is a life
long approach,” Brown said. “We need to look at what we
need and see how education fits in with today.”