The Undergraduate Student Government, in an effort to reduce crime in the off-campus area, passed a resolution last night to create a police substation near 15th Avenue and High Street.

“My number one issue right now is off-campus safety,” said Aftab Pureval, USG president. “This resolution is calling for the university, city and police unions to find the money and get (the substation) done.”

The area of 15th Avenue and High Street was selected because a building already exists there that is already owned by the university, and it is zoned non-residential, said Deb Mason, USG vice president.

Drewe Niehaus, USG greek senator, said she was concerned with the proposed location of the substation because of the high greek population on 15th Avenue.

“This is the home of my constituents,” Niehaus said. “They’re going to put the entire greek community in jeopardy.”

Niehaus said she wouldn’t want her sorority sisters to be walking home from a bar and have to be concerned with a higher police presence.

“The crime is more of a South Campus problem,” Niehaus said.

Mason said increased police traffic wouldn’t affect students in a negative way.

“They won’t be busting up any more parties than they normally do,” Mason said.

Sean Krebs, diversity senator, said the creation of a police substation near campus is merely a short-term solution.

“It’s a good temporary idea, but I think we need to stress long-term solutions,” Krebs said.

He said more outreach is needed to inform off-campus residents about their neighbors.

“We’re put in an environment where we’re surrounded by a lower-income community,” Krebs said. “The police substation is a temporary solution, but it’s not going to be actually raising police presence in the area.”

He said he would rather see police focusing on the right things.

Krebs and Niehaus also raised concerns of increased traffic in the center of the off-campus area.

Matt Monta, speaker of the senate, co-sponsored the resolution with Pureval and Mason.

“I think it’s a good step in the right direction in making our off-campus area safer,” Monta said. “It’s not the end-all, be-all, but it’s a start.”

Plans to build a police substation near campus were announced by Ohio State in October, but no action has been taken. The fourth precinct substation, the only substation in the University District, is located at 2637 Deming Ave., near the Arcadia Avenue and Indianola Avenue intersection.

Pureval said passage of this resolution helps get his term started in the right direction.

“We’re just really excited we got a nearly unanimous vote in favor (of the resolution),” Pureval said.

Mason said the resolution shows the power students can have within the university.

“This is just one way students can affect their community,” Mason said. “It’s an opportunity to make a visible, tangible improvement.”