As we’re sure you are probably and hopefully aware, in the past few weeks, the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus and its surrounding community has seen an increase in strong-armed robberies taking place in off-campus housing where university students live. Suspects are robbing people at random, often threatening the victims with a weapon.
All of us students need to treat the crime that has occurred in the past few weeks as a wake-up call. We live in a city which can be dangerous at times, not in a safe campus bubble. With all this crime, it is even scary walking home from the library at night and should not be done alone.
According to the UW-Madison Police Department, off-campus robberies are up from 26 in 2012 to 34 in 2013 from the period of May 1 to Sept. 23, while on-campus crime has not increased. Incidents of armed robberies, those involving a weapon, are even more present than in past years. This is alarming and proves we must take extra safety precautions now more than ever.
The police officials are doing their job, and it is up to students to act with common sense and take advantage of services the university provides.
Although SAFEcab is no longer provided to students through UW Transportation Services and Associated Students of Madison segregated fees, the university does provide SAFEwalk, a system where students can pair up with two other designated safe-walkers to escort them home.
When going out late at night, please consider planning your way back home. Whether that’s budgeting for a taxi, leaving a party at a certain time or planning out ahead of time who you will leave with, make sure you know how you are getting home. Do not walk home alone at night.
Always use well-lit areas, don’t walk with electronics out in front of you, don’t walk with headphones on and report any suspicious activity you see.
These cases of armed-robberies are fear-inducing, especially as many are happening near and on-campus. Students should be nervous and hyper-aware of their surroundings, especially when walking home alone at night.
Victims of random attacks and robberies are not at fault and should not be blamed, but at this point, police are taking the appropriate measures to keep city residents safe and we need to do our part.
The police are fulfilling their responsibility. It’s time we, as responsible citizens, take care of ours.
Both city and university police have increased patrols in response to the recent uptick in crime and were also involved in an online Twitter conversation with Dean of Students Lori Berquam to answer questions from students and community members on the recent state of safety on and near UW-Madison’s campus. Ultimately we think that police officials are taking the appropriate measures regarding the recent increase in off-campus crime. We believe that safety has to be a collective, team effort.
Got any other good advice to stay safe? Pepperspray? Buddy system? Are you as scared out of your mind as we are? Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
