“I had a class in Polsky, but I canceled it because I don’t want to walk across campus at night. F*** that, I’ll get robbed. This is a quote overheard from a random woman walking across campus. Is this really the perception that students have of the neighborhoods surrounding campus? Well, with recent reports of multiple muggings at gunpoint, house robberies, bike thieves and a sexual assault, it is understandable if that is the case.”
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I had a class in Polsky, but I canceled it because I don’t want to walk across campus at night. F*** that, I’ll get robbed. This is a quote overheard from a random woman walking across campus. Is this really the perception that students have of the neighborhoods surrounding campus?

Well, with recent reports of multiple muggings at gunpoint, house robberies, bike thieves and a sexual assault, it is understandable if that is the case.

The Buchtelite ran a news story on Sept. 18 about gang activity in which it was shown that crimes of these nature have increased in recent years, so whatever efforts have been put forth thus far have not been sufficient.

So the university sent out a Zipmail explaining how to stay safe on campus. Walk in groups and in well-lit areas, have your keys in your hand as you approach your car and check the backseat, carry Mace, use the campus escort service, use the emergency telephones, blah, blah blah. Walking in groups may be more efficient than the rest at protecting yourself, but that’s not saying much.

In a well-lit area? OK, I’ll keep my gun hidden so that no one knows it’s there, except for you. To everyone else, we’re just having a conversation.

Keys in your hand? Now I know you have a car that I can steal.

Mace? Don’t move, or I’ll shoot you.

Escort service? I’ll wait for you to come to me.

Enter a building? See above.

Emergency telephone? Excuse me, please don’t mug me yet, I need to make a call… Not likely.

There’s not much anyone can do to prevent these crimes, which can unfold in a few moments. If someone wants to rob or mug you badly enough, they will find a way to do it. Follow the above precautions anyway since some defense is better than none, except instead of just Mace, carry an actual mace.

You’re more intimidating carrying a two-foot rod with a steel ball attached to it.

Possible solutions to the recent muggings include increasing the police presence around campus and better lighting. Students can also get rides to locations near- but off-campus whenever possible. Or, they can just sprint home.

What the UAPD should do is get undercover officers to walk around dangerous locations at night, carrying valuables with them.

These could be officers who don’t look like they can defend themselves. Have backup officers in unmarked cars waiting in various locations. Apprehend whoever attempts the mugging, and get them off the streets. Then repeat.

There are only so many people out there who want to commit these crimes, so let’s tempt them into a situation where they’re likely to do so, then arrest them. Eventually, the rest will learn the lesson.

Get rid of them one by one, but it shouldn’t be up to unsuspecting students to find out who it is, when it’s too late.

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