In recent months, concerns over security on college campuses have increased. In response to recent shootings, threats and swatting hoaxes on college campuses, South Carolina’s House of Representatives Higher Education Subcommittee joined state universities to discuss an increase in safety measures to better protect students. Should Wofford consider an increase in safety measures as well?
Fortunately, Wofford has seemingly been free from extreme security issues such as these. However, some recurring security issues that Wofford faces are car thefts, break-ins and vandalism. Occasionally these issues go unresolved due to lack of security camera coverage in parking lots and on streets close to Wofford’s campus. This also means that when cars are damaged, students may feel unsure about how to file insurance claims.
Raffy Castilla ‘27, a biology and French double major on the pre-med track, recounts an experience from her freshman year in which her car had been damaged in the arts building parking lot.
“I went to my car, and the entire back was scratched up. Everything else looked fine until I tried to open my car door and the door handle just fell completely off. I went to campus safety, and they said they had cameras in that parking lot but didn’t have any (cameras) getting the exact angle of where my car was parked,” Castilla said.
Castilla shares that this experience was scary for her as a freshman in college, who wasn’t sure what to do about it. She recalls how freaked out and upset she was because she expected that there would be cameras all over the parking lot, especially because the campus is open to the street.
Other students have cited similar experiences in which their vehicles (including electric bikes and scooters) have been broken into, damaged or stolen.
Based on the Wofford College Campus Safety Crime and Incident Reports, there have been recurring incidents of this type of crime.
Provided below are incidents of vehicle theft, or that of a similar nature or crimes committed in parking lots across campus:
2024: 1 Motor Vehicle Theft
2023: 6 Motor Vehicle Thefts
2022: 1 Armed Robbery/Kidnapping, 8 thefts from motor vehicle, 1 vehicle break in, 5 motor vehicle thefts, 4 larcenies from a motor vehicle
2021: 6 thefts from a motor vehicle, 2 vandalisms to a vehicle, theft of auto parts, 5 thefts of motor vehicle
2020: 1 vehicle theft, 1 car breaking, 1 theft from vehicle, various incidences of vandalism occurring in parking lots
As of 2025, there have been 4 instances of breaking and entering, 1 instance of trespassing and 1 instance of motor vehicle theft. The breaking and entering instances and motor vehicle theft all occurred in the arts center parking lot.
These incidents clearly indicate that there must be greater security implemented in parking lots, especially in the parking lot behind the Rosalind Sallenger Richardson Center for the Arts and Memorial Drive directly behind it where cameras do not sufficiently survey the entire area.
Because Wofford College is not a closed campus, this poses certain risks for students that must be consistently addressed by campus safety. The process of ensuring campuses be free of crime and violence of any kind must be continuous and collaborative in nature. Wofford College Campus Safety must work with students who have experienced crime of any kind, for instances like these to be prevented in the future.
Wofford College’s Campus Safety did not respond to inquiries from The Old Gold and Black on these issues.
