<p>Have read that in the past few years there have been some issues regarding crime on campus .. especially east .. any comments or insights??</p>
<p>Duke does a pretty good job at keeping the public informed about any incidents. Believe me, I had the same questions, as the mother of a freshman who grew up in a non-urban area. They do a good job at providing information (mostly common sense) to new students about taking precautionary efforts to avoid problems. I do not think it is much different than a lot of urban campuses. My son has noted that they did increase the number of visible campus police after a few incidents last fall.</p>
<p>I admit that I do routinely check out this site, which issues routine reports. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.duke.edu/web/police/services/%5B/url%5D">http://www.duke.edu/web/police/services/</a></p>
<p>With all due respect to (who I think are) adults, Duke is not an urban campus by any stretch. If you want one, go check out UChicago or NYU. The key to safety in almost any setting is just being street smart. Kids need to learn to identify when to stay away from something or someone as well as how to interact with the communities around them. Though I understand your concern, kids need to learn how to protect themselves sometime.</p>
<p>Chuckleybob,</p>
<p>You raise a very good point. The term "urban" is definitely a relative one. Compared to where we live, the city of Durham, and the area adjacent to Duke's East campus is very urbanized. This area is also much more urbanized than several campuses we visited. (Examples that immediately come to mind are Dartmouth and Williams. As my son said, "they are in the middle of nowhere".)</p>
<p>So technically, you are correct. Duke would probably be considered "suburban", or sub-urban to many. However, for some students(and parents), Duke and the surrounding area is considered to be urbanized. It is all a matter of perspective. </p>
<p>I also agree that kids do need to learn to protect themselves and interact with the communities around them. However, that doesn't mean that the parents can't be concerned or sometimes worry. (With all due respect of course!)</p>
<p>I spent a month near there this summer (just down the street at the School of Science & Math). I would say that while both campuses feel pretty suburban, there are some areas of Durham not too far away that are kind of sketchy. It's not really that unsafe, but I wouldn't walk around at night by myself with my guard completely down or anything.</p>
<p>1sokkermom,</p>
<p>I like how you mock my attempts to by polite. Additionally, I agree with you, parents should always worry about their kids, but remember, urban does not always equal dangerous. Just make sure they know how and when to protect themselves.</p>
<p>PS Is urbanized just your euphemism for a predominantly African American population? I'm from the south and hear it all the time. If it is, try not to fall victim to stereotyping people because of their race.</p>
<p>PSS. Duke has a number of safety precautions in place: police/ambulance call boxes every hundred feet or so, 24hr off/on campus safety rides on call, and a large campus police force. At least from my experience, there is not much reason to worry.</p>
<p>The reference to urbanization had nothing to do with racial profiling at all. </p>
<p>For the benefit of the original poster, you may find the following link interesting. It is a compilation of available crime information from campuses throughout the country.</p>
<p>Type in the "Name of Institution" you are interested in. Click the search button. At the bottom of the page you can click on "criminal offenses" to get a historical perspective of crime activities at and around certain campuses.</p>
<p><a href="http://ope.ed.gov/security/Search.asp%5B/url%5D">http://ope.ed.gov/security/Search.asp</a></p>