Responsibility will lead to a safer UA campus
The Traveler Editorial Board
Issue date: 10/10/08 Section: Opinion
Safety on campus. It's one of the biggest concerns of University of Arkansas students, as well as students across the country.
Where are the most well-lit places to walk through campus? Are police officers readily available in case of an emergency? Is it safe to leave residence hall rooms unlocked, even for just a few minutes?
These are all important questions to ask, and many students probably have wondered them on more than one occasion. But the UA often feels like a relatively safe place to live, study and work, even though the university is, in essence, a small city and definitely not immune to crime.
We're certainly grateful for that confidence, but such security is something that easily could be taken advantage of, and UA students shouldn't assume they always out of harm's way.
For instance, both burglary and larceny on campus have increased over the past three years (2005-07), according to the 2007 Clery Report, a document released annually by the UA Police Department.
In 2007, 81 cases of burglary and 254 cases of larceny were reported, up from 73 cases of burglary and 198 cases of larceny in 2006.
A little disconcerting, yes, but what's actually triggering these increases must be examined. Are more thieves enrolling at the university? Or are more cases of burglary and larceny simply being reported to the UAPD than in past years?
Both explanations are possible, of course, but we think an increase in larceny might have to do with something else.
UAPD reports show something in particular happening all of the time: students leave their belongings unattended all over campus - Mullins Library, the Arkansas Union, the HPER, Brough Commons, wherever - and when they return, they occasionally find something missing.
In a perfect world, of course, this wouldn't be a problem. In a perfect world, abandoned cell phones, mp3 players and laptops would be safe even in the most public of places. In a perfect world, residence hall rooms and car doors wouldn't have to be locked. In a perfect world, women could walk home alone in the dark and feel perfectly safe.
But the UA is no utopia, no matter how secure campus feels sometimes. So UA students shouldn't kid themselves and leave their belongings laying around unattended.
It's nice to feel safe, but if UA students take a few precautions and employ a little personal responsibility, next year's Clery Report doesn't have to report an increase in crime. If UA students lock their belongings away, maybe next year the UA will see an even safer campus.
And who wouldn't want that?
Where are the most well-lit places to walk through campus? Are police officers readily available in case of an emergency? Is it safe to leave residence hall rooms unlocked, even for just a few minutes?
These are all important questions to ask, and many students probably have wondered them on more than one occasion. But the UA often feels like a relatively safe place to live, study and work, even though the university is, in essence, a small city and definitely not immune to crime.
We're certainly grateful for that confidence, but such security is something that easily could be taken advantage of, and UA students shouldn't assume they always out of harm's way.
For instance, both burglary and larceny on campus have increased over the past three years (2005-07), according to the 2007 Clery Report, a document released annually by the UA Police Department.
In 2007, 81 cases of burglary and 254 cases of larceny were reported, up from 73 cases of burglary and 198 cases of larceny in 2006.
A little disconcerting, yes, but what's actually triggering these increases must be examined. Are more thieves enrolling at the university? Or are more cases of burglary and larceny simply being reported to the UAPD than in past years?
Both explanations are possible, of course, but we think an increase in larceny might have to do with something else.
UAPD reports show something in particular happening all of the time: students leave their belongings unattended all over campus - Mullins Library, the Arkansas Union, the HPER, Brough Commons, wherever - and when they return, they occasionally find something missing.
In a perfect world, of course, this wouldn't be a problem. In a perfect world, abandoned cell phones, mp3 players and laptops would be safe even in the most public of places. In a perfect world, residence hall rooms and car doors wouldn't have to be locked. In a perfect world, women could walk home alone in the dark and feel perfectly safe.
But the UA is no utopia, no matter how secure campus feels sometimes. So UA students shouldn't kid themselves and leave their belongings laying around unattended.
It's nice to feel safe, but if UA students take a few precautions and employ a little personal responsibility, next year's Clery Report doesn't have to report an increase in crime. If UA students lock their belongings away, maybe next year the UA will see an even safer campus.
And who wouldn't want that?
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