<p>I would appreciate someone who has spent time in New Haven commenting on this article from today's Yale Daily News. I had thought that the atmosphere in New Haven had improved but this doesn't look as though the school year is getting off to a good start. What should a freshman expect and how should he protect himself?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=29553%5B/url%5D">http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=29553</a></p>
<p>Yale Daily News Monday, August 29, 2005</p>
<p>Student is shot in the hand in mugging
Incident was one of two robberies that occurred Sunday morning</p>
<p>BY ALEXANDRA ADLER
Staff Reporter</p>
<p>One student was shot in the right hand and three others were robbed at gunpoint in two separate incidents early Sunday morning.</p>
<p>I dunno how often this happens at Yale, but I've only known one person throughout my 18 years in New Haven who was mugged downtown, and he wasn't the brightest of individuals. Lets not jump to conclusions now...</p>
<p>Thank you, Mailman. That's reassuring. It was these comments from the article that had me concerned.</p>
<p>"Although none of the students were seriously injured, Stiles Master Stuart Schwartz sent an e-mail to all members of Ezra Stiles College reminding them to be vigilant in response to the Lake Place incident. He said students need to exercise caution when walking in New Haven, especially at night, and remember not to prop entryway doors or leave college gates open.</p>
<p>"This is not the only time this has happened," he said.</p>
<p>Indeed, Patten said crimes, especially robberies, committed by people riding bicycles are a growing problem in New Haven. Over the summer months, such incidents were a cause of concern throughout the city, he said.</p>
<p>Although crimes of this severity are not commonplace on the Yale campus, both the YPD and the New Haven Police Department have increased patrols in the areas where the attacks occurred, Perrotti said. Schwartz said that students must be extremely careful on the streets around campus, especially at night."</p>
<p>I lived or worked near Yale my whole life and never had an incident happen to me during the day or evening. Many of these muggings, although very disturbing,happen late at night and in certain areas that they warn students about. Many wont take precautions and things happen, but not as much as you might think. My relative was a cop there for years and he would get so frustrated when someone would report an attempted mugging and he was running at 2 in the morning down a street that was a bit "shady" for lack of a better word. Other students will do that with no problem, but it's always a risk. If you're careful and sensible, you should be fine. Crime tends to pick up at certain periods and then wane for a while, for example a huge influx of people coming in or the holiday's.</p>
<p>New Haven is undoubtedly not the safest of cities-- one of the main reasons why potential applicants are deterred from applying to Yale. </p>
<p>However, I am pretty sure that Yale takes certain measures to protect students from the dangerous surrounding areas, ie: ADVISING STUDENTS NOT TO WANDER AROUND AT NIGHT.</p>
<p>use racial profiling and you'll be safe!</p>
<p><em>applies to Princeton U</em></p>
<p>i'm sure new haven is just like any other city- there is a certain element of danger, and a need to exercise good common sense. there are muggings and murders in nyc too, but that doesn't deter people from living there.</p>
<p>That's a safe area, so I wouldn't be worried. Obviously there is going to be some random crime a couple of times per year, but they always occur very late at night in areas away from all the dormitories. Also, to keep things in perspective, Harvard is more than twice as dangerous (see <a href="http://www.stalcommpol.org/data.html)%5B/url%5D">http://www.stalcommpol.org/data.html)</a>. Brown is not included on this list, but it's actually even more dangerous. There were over 20 students at Brown mugged or assaulted in just a period of a few months.</p>
<p>PosterX</p>
<p>As usual, you've got some good information. Your link didn't work until I noticed that you need a space at the end. I've pasted the table for anyone else who is interested. I notice that all of these are urban schools. I would assume that the crime statistics are much lower at the other Ivies. </p>
<p>Violent Crime Rates, 2000-02
Rate per 10,000 students enrolled</p>
<p>Institution--------------------Offenses Reported--- Crime Rate </p>
<p>Harvard University (unadjusted)------215--------------86.52 </p>
<p>University of Pennsylvania-----------149---------------64.11
Harvard, adjusted*------------------122--------------49.09
Yale University-----------------------48---------------41.84
M.I.T.-------------------------------40.5-------------39.17
University of Chicago-----------------49.5-------------35.64
Columbia University-------------------72---------------33.77 </p>
<p>Violent Crime =
Murder[n1] + Forcible Sex Offenses[n2] + Robbery + Aggravated Assault[n3]</p>
<p>Years included:
2000 + 2001 + 2002</p>
<p>Geographic Areas included[n4]:
On-Campus + Non-Campus + ( Public-Property / 2 )</p>
<p>Violent Crime Rate
= ( Criminal Offenses Reported ) / [ ( Students Enrolled ) / 10,000 ]</p>
<p>Note 1. Murder includes non-negligent manslaughter. No institution reported more than a single incident during 2000-02.</p>
<p>Note 2. All forcible sex offenses reported as having taken place within an on-campus residence hall are excluded, on account of gross differences in reporting rates among universities with different victim-support policies.</p>
<p>Why is Harvard so much more dangerous than MIT? Aren't they very close to each other?</p>
<p>Please post your sources when quoting numbers as facts....</p>
<p>I believe that the link is the one that posterx posted.</p>
<p>I've lived in the New Haven area all my life, basically if you don't flaunt the fact that your a Yale student, or just go to crappy areas at night you will be alright. If you do go in those areas, go in a group, and try not to attract a lot of attention.</p>
<p>Thank you, bignude. Your advice seems wise and I was beginning to feel better until I read today's (August 31st) online issue of the Yale Daily News ( <a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com%5B/url%5D">www.yaledailynews.com</a> ) with another disturbing headline story ( <a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=29554%5B/url%5D">http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=29554</a> ) this time about a current sophomore being arrested on rape charges on Saturday. I know that good common sense is necessary but...I was particularly bothered by the following statement in the article:</p>
<p>"Patten said University Police respond to cases of sexual assault approximately once a year. The department reported five forcible sex offenses on campus in 2003, the last year statistics were available. Forcible sex offenses include rape and crimes like forcible fondling."</p>
<p>Now I need more reassuring. Look, I know that all students need to take precautions for their personal safety but one would hope that at least the perpretators aren't fellow students.</p>
<p>Sorry to disappoint Rational, but you need to get a dose of reality. If you are expecting to find a 100% safe environment anywhere you are out of luck. I've lived in CT a number of years and never felt unsafe but common sense needs to prevail. It doesn't take a genius to know that it's not a good idea to venture into a dubious neighborhood late at night. Even in the most affluent areas in the US crime occasionly happens - and sometimes it commited by those you would not suspect. You can either take you chances and expereince life and know that the overwhelming odds of not being a crime victim are in your favor or you can hide from everyone and everything to play it safe.</p>
<p>Rational, the only thing about that article that should possibly scare you is that it is <em>only</em> five rapes were reported. Sexual assaults on college campuses are sadly far more common than you might think. So although this isn't very comforting, Yale certainly isn't alone if this student is indeed guilty. Some stats to back up my claim: </p>
<p>1 of 12 male college students committed acts that met the legal definition of rape. (Warshaw, Robin. I Never Called it Rape. Harper and Row. 1988)</p>
<p>A survey of 6,159 college students enrolled at 32 institutions in the United States revealed the following statistics:
More than 1 in 4 college-age women surveyed had been the victim of rape or attempted rape
Forty-two percent of the victims told no one
(American Medical Assn., printed in Ann Landers column)</p>
<p>One out of every three women will be the victim of sexual assault during her lifetime. (Rape Crisis Center, Washington, D.C., 1992)</p>
<p>It is estimated that 85% of rapes are never reported to the police, and that less than 5% of the rapists go to jail. (Rape in America, A Report to the Nation, prepared by the National Victim Center and Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, 1992.)</p>
<p>Marlgirl, those are shocking statistics and I appreciate your sharing them. I'm assuming that you are either a Yale student or alumna.</p>
<p>Teefore2, ouch, that's a little harsh. I've lived long enough to understand that safety can't be guaranteed but being concerned and surprised is not quite the same thing as wanting to, as you put it, "hide from everyone and everything to play it safe." </p>
<p>Perhaps if I had signed off as "Concerned Dad of Teenage Applicant" you might have been gentler?</p>
<p>Rational - my apologies. And frankly I fit your description of "concerned Dad", though not of an applicant - my child attends Yale. In re-reading my diatribe, it does seem a bit harsh. My point is that New Haven shares many of the problems that other cities share but by and large it's a safe place - not 100% safe - but safe. It's not tucked in the woods like Dartmouth but then again rape can occur anywhere. I sincerely understand your concerns for safety - unfortunately there are no guarantees - In my opinion, we need to teach and exercise common sense and let them go and experience the world. I wish you the best!</p>
<p>Teefore2</p>
<p>No offense taken. As parents, I'm sure we share the same concerns about safety. In my household, the teenage daydreaming has been first about Princeton, with Yale and Harvard not far behind. Hence, the concern about the atmosphere at Yale. I fully agree that it's important for our students to experience the world and I'm sure that each of these campuses offers that. In my case, I confess to being perhaps a little 'overprotective' having seen enough of the real world myself and hoping that the experience in college could be mostly about academics without an excessive concern for personal safety. At any rate, I'm sure it's not as bad as these two news articles suggest. Best wishes to your daughter and thank you for your reply.</p>