Keep the safety on

More can be done to make Ann Arbor safer

Imagine it's two o'clock in the morning, you are on your way home when you begin to sense footsteps behind you. Suddenly the footsteps overtake you and a man demands your wallet. Recently, situations like this seem to be happening more frequently around campus, with the robbery of a Subway shop on South University Avenue and several armed robberies in surrounding off campus areas. While students were away from campus during winter vacation, burglaries also rose around town. And although Ann Arbor is a safe city, no place is immune to crime. Students have several options to increase their safety. But the University and the city of Ann Arbor can explore many initiatives as well.

Police say it is normal for crime to rise during vacations because it is well known that students go home for the holidays. Burglars know that students often do not take very strict safety measures to protect their belongings. Therefore, it is comforting that the Ann Arbor Police Department patrols those areas, though more could always be done to protect neighborhoods around campus. It's a consistent trend that crime rises over winter break, so increasing the level of community patrols is an effective means to dissuade would-be criminals. It is nice to see the AAPD taking an interest in student's safety instead of just inanely busting parties and arresting underage drinkers.

On the University's side, cheap taxi and free bus services are offered. DPS provides escorts when the other options are unavailable. But students' safety cannot be left solely in the hands of the University. Safewalk and Northwalk are worthwhile free programs that students should take advantage of when they are walking home late at night. It seems students are often hesitant to use these resources because they think they are unnecessary. Yet, people who are walking alone at night are targets for attackers and there is safety in numbers. These programs were created specifically to ensure safety to students who are forced to walk home alone after dark.

Many of the residential neighborhoods and streets surrounding the University are poorly lit and often seem deserted at night. Although there are more than 70 "blue light" phones located on campus, the University has neither the legal responsibility nor the authority to implement such safety measures off campus. Because of the large numbers of students living off campus, the administration shoulders a large degree of responsibility for their safety.