<p>Anyone else a little nervous about the growing presence of the drug cartels on the border and in/around Arizona? For example I just read there were over 200 home invasions in Tucson over the last year attributed to the drug cartels.
<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/us/23border.html?em[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/23/us/23border.html?em</a></p>
<p>I am hearing more and more stories and it is starting to really concern me.</p>
<p>The article in the NYTimes really stunned me. In the two years that I have lived in Tucson, I have never witnessed anything violent or drug related. Sure Border Patrol is often on the news for confiscating large amounts of drugs, but so are positive aspects of University of Arizona... Most recently March Madness: Hello to the SWEET 16! Go Wildcats!</p>
<p>My daughter attended UAZ and was robbed at gunpoint on a Friday or Sat night when she and a friend went to the movies off-campus. This was 2 years ago. I do think she said that the dorms were very safe and I don’t think anything happened on campus.</p>
<p>A few months back, here (Phoenix) they had news segments on the kidnapping rate skyrocketing, due in part to the drugs. What was concluded by what I saw is that a vast majority of the abductions are of people somehow related to the drug trade. They were rarely, if ever, just targeting random people.</p>
<p>For Campus Crime Stats: <a href=“http://www.uapd.arizona.edu/campus_crime_stats01_04.htm[/url]”>http://www.uapd.arizona.edu/campus_crime_stats01_04.htm</a></p>
<p>On campus, UAPD has Emergency Blue Light Phones all over campus. When a student feels threatened, he or she can press the button on the phone. Response time is less than thirty seconds. </p>
<p>As far as dorms, all residents must use their Student ID to enter the buildings. All guests, including parents, must be escorted.</p>
<p>Yes, since Tucson is so close to the border it’s becoming a little scary. But like UAKat said, U of A is a secure place. It’s the majority of the area surrounding the campus. It’s kinda gross and there are some pockets of nasty neighborhoods. Also, I’m curious about the poster who said her daughter was robbed at gunpoint, what theater was that?</p>
<p>Arizonagirl, </p>
<p>I just spoke to her. She said she had gone out to movies and dinner with a friend but wasn’t at the movie theater. She said she was on 4th where they had parked the car to pick up dinner. I’m afraid I don’t know Tucson at all so I have no idea where that is. They weren’t kidnapped-- just robbed at gunpoint. They filed a police report and I remember I helped her cancel her credit cards and stuff. </p>
<p>Like I said, she always told me the dorms were safe and had no problems on campus.</p>
<p>4th is very scary at night, so I have heard. That’s a good warning for future students. Thanks for sharing!</p>