College campuses are meant to be fun and a sanctuary for students who want to study in the best conditions. However, they are not always perfect. At times, crime can happen on campuses, which can endanger students’ lives. Many children who live on their own in these places become victims of assault, drug abuse, stalking, and other crimes.
A Simon Fraser University published in 1994 revealed that one-third of students didn’t feel safe at night, while 14% reported being victims of vandalism, racism, sexual assault, and other things.
The students may not know how to handle these things, especially if they believe nobody will do anything to help. However, campuses can do a few things to reduce crime significantly. Below, we will explore 4 of the main changes that can be implemented to reduce campus crime.
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Adding More Cameras
In a time when technology is taking over, security cameras have proven to be extremely useful. In fact, between 2015 and 2018, the number of security cameras installed in the U.S. increased by 50%.
Surveillance cameras come in handy when incidents happen and authorities need to find the culprit or want to learn exactly what happened in a case. On top of that, the knowledge that there are cameras installed can discourage certain individuals from doing crimes out of fear of being caught.
Now, the truth is that not all students are happy about surveillance cameras. While some of them do not do crimes, they may not want everything they do to be monitored, as some consider it a privacy violation. Students need to understand the importance of campus safety, though.
As a result, campuses should consider installing security cameras as they can deter crime and can serve as useful tools for authorities in case something bad happens.
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Improving Security on Campuses
Every campus must hire personnel that is responsible for the students’ safety. Just think about it – colleges can have more than 40,000 students, which means that something can kick off at any time. It’s a group of people that cannot be easily controlled, especially when there isn’t enough personnel to take action when crimes are about to happen.
This is why all college campuses should have increased security. It’s crucial to find more people who can work to ensure that students are safe at all times. Security workers can walk around during the day and night to make sure everyone is getting along and nobody is in danger, and they can also escort someone back to their dorm if they return late at night.
Furthermore, security personnel can be trained to prepare a safe space for students who’ve had too much alcohol.
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Providing Better Lighting
Lighting may not sound like something that has a huge influence on student safety. After all, lots of crimes happen both during the day and the night, so how would better lighting change the crime rate on campuses?
Many universities have crazy nightlife. Students love to go out and have drinks with their friends, especially during the weekend. Therefore, they are more likely to indulge in reckless behavior or become victims of someone evil. When students go out and get drunk, they tend to return very late.
If someone is targeting them, then poor lighting makes it easier for the criminal to get away with doing crimes as there is less visibility. It might be harder for someone to see them, and even surveillance cameras will have a difficult time capturing the attackers.
So, campuses should take care of the lighting aspect and make sure all places are well-lit, making the place safer for both women and men.
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Improving Crime-Reporting Methods
Every campus should have different processes in place that allow students to report all crimes. Many campus crimes go unreported, sometimes out of fear that the victims will not be believed.
University staff should establish safe crime reporting processes that encourage students to report any incident they’ve been in. This can ensure the situation is taken care of and that such crimes are prevented in the future.
One thing universities can do is collaborate with support workers and police officers to find the best options for student safety on campuses.
The Bottom Line
Campus crimes can happen in any state. Colorado, for example, has at least 48 colleges and universities, therefore there’s a huge potential for campus crimes to occur. In case you’re on the other side of this situation and you’ve been unfairly accused of a crime, you should make sure to hire Denver criminal defense lawyers or specialists in your area.
