Local police are investigating a recent robbery at Grandview Apartments. Arrest warrants have been posted for two suspects involved in the armed robbery of UNA students.

“Two white male subjects entered into a house over there on the premise that there was a party going on, and we don’t know if there was a party or not,” said Bob Pastula, UNA police chief. “They knocked on the door, got in the house. One man had brass knuckles and one had a pistol to rob the gentlemen.”

Pastula said the crime appears to have been premeditated and that officials are unsure of how the robbers selected the victims. He said crimes like this one have happened before, referring to incidents in which students were walking home before encountering armed robbers.

“In one instance a girl walking back from class was approached by an armed robber and taken to an ATM,” he said. “We also had a group of international students robbed by the Applebee clusters while walking home one night. These students were doing what we told them by walking together, but they were attacked by a group.”

Pastula said that in these cases the victims were at a disadvantage, although campus crime can be avoided if students take certain precautions.

“The girl that was robbed at the ATM was going back to classes in broad daylight,” he said. “It’s important for students to always be aware of what’s around them and try to not walk alone. If you live off campus, try not to do things to bring attention to yourself like having parties and letting random people in.”

The most recent crimes at UNA involve a series of bike thefts, with four incidents of campus crime being reported, according to the UNA police department’s crime logs. Pastula said campus crime has begun to decrease in the past few months.

“We caught the guys (who were stealing bikes from racks) and the bikes have been recovered,” he said. “A lot of these recent crimes are crimes of opportunity, so we’re trying to keep an eye on that stuff. We’ve increased the Lion Alerts on campus to make everyone pay attention to what goes on around them.”

In comparison to the 2011-2012 school year, the crime logs indicate that fewer incidents have taken place this school year. Pastula said he believes Lion Alerts contribute to greater student awareness, which may have a favorable effect on future crime rates.

“If (a local crime) seems relevant, if it poses a threat to students, we’ll send out an alert,” he said. “There really is no set rule for how we do the alerts. We are just required to send them out within a reasonable time.”

Tim LeVan, a junior majoring in criminal justice and political science, said crimes in Florence get more coverage because they don’t happen as often as in other cities.

“I think if people don’t feel safe, they should take advantage of the (Student Nighttime Auxillary Patrol) team,” he said. “If they feel that something is about to go down, they should call the police. (Call) the SNAP team, especially for girls, or get guy friends to escort you, even if you’re not scared.”

Carrie Bailey, a junior at UNA, said that although her tires were slashed last year, she feels safer living on campus. She said many of her friends who live off campus are now taking more precaution.

“I’ve actually always felt safe on campus; I just don’t know if my car is safe on campus,” she said. “I think (UNA police) do a good job, and I do feel like they are trying to make progress to do a better job.”