Universities and colleges are like their own little towns — many have their own police departments and residences. With a large population the size of a small town, campuses are guaranteed to experience some forms of crime.
Many crimes are theft-related, and alcohol and drug arrests can be fairly common. From my own experience at a large university, bike thefts used to happen almost daily, and there are always students who push their luck with underage drinking and general rulebreaking.
Rape, other forms of sexual assault and relationship violence are all serious issues for women on college campuses, though this article will focus on campus safety and violence on campus as a broad issue. Future articles will focus on a few more specific issues, like acquaintance rape, relationship violence and cyber stalking.
Scott Folsom, police chief and director of public safety at the University of Utah, gave suggestions on what college students should consider when thinking about safety on campus in multiple situations, though he said that most campuses are very safe.
“On most college campuses, it’s your property that’s more likely to be in peril than your personal safety,” Folsom said.
Regardless, it’s better to be safe, and you might even feel less stressed by taking precautions. You can also improve your chances of avoiding physical and mental harm to yourself.
1) Never walk alone in an unfamiliar area.
2) Stay in groups.
3) Be aware of your surroundings. This includes recognizing people and places of concealment. For example, don’t choose to walk through a heavily forested area when there’s an alternate route that is of about the same convenience. Concealed places allow hiding spots for potential criminals.
4) Know where safe travel routes and close parking lots are located.
5) Avoid traveling after dark in unlit areas.
6) Be prepared to run away, hide or confront a possible attacker.
7) Take a self-defense class on campus to learn some information on defense.
8) Keep your personal property concealed, no matter if it’s in a car, dorm room, public places or classroom.
9) Learn about campus emergency communication systems, like where they are located and how to use them.
10) Sign up for any emergency text alerts if your campus offers that.(My suggestion)
11) Take advantage of safety escort services at night on campus.
12) Realize that if you decide to drink, your judgment will be negatively affected, including the ability to consent to sex.
13) Don’t drink in unfamiliar places with people you don’t know. Arrive and leave with the same people.
14) When it comes to dormitories, don’t let people “tailgate,” or enter a dorm gate right behind you without having to use a key or pass. You don’t know who they are, and they could be a criminal and hurt someone.
15) If you decide to drink, don’t drive.
Although this is a rare occurrence, students should consider what they will do if there is a shooter on campus, Folsom said. Here are a few basic things to remember, though it is a complex issue:
1) Be aware of your surroundings, and think of how you would get out of that situation if necessary. Have an escape plan.
2) If you hear the sound of gunfire or something similar, consider the worst scenario.
“The time that you spend not reacting is time that things can get worse before you do anything about them,” Folsom said.
3) Try to run away and get in a safe situation and call the police.
4) Think of yourself first and then help others if you can.
5) If you can’t escape campus, hide out somewhere. Get behind a locked door, put furniture in the way, turn off the lights, etc.
6) If confronted with a gunman, assume he will try to kill you and attempt to “take him out.” Throw whatever you can at him, including keys, books and other classroom items, like chairs. Try to disarm him in any way possible. If there are other people in the room, try to coordinate your attack.
The location of a campus can have an effect on the level of safety, though many students focus more on the academic and recreational aspect of universities over the crime level and perceived safety.
Jerome Solomon, commander at the University of Washington Police Department, said that on his university’s campus, it’s important to remember that the “city streets interwine through campus” in Seattle.
At his campus 911 calls are responded to within a couple of minutes, he said. Regardless, he said students can’t think they are in a “small rural community” and they should take appropriate precautions.
“You just have to be aware of your surroundings,” Solomon said. “Even though you may come from a small-town setting, where crime is not an issue, if you get here you should be aware of that.”
Sometimes crime from surrounding cities can spill onto college campuses, so that’s another issue to think about, though generally college police and city police work together to promote safety.