<p>Any comments on the relative levels of personal safety for residential students at the University of Maryland College Park, or Temple U?</p>
<p>I'm aware of the Clery reports, but I take them with a grain of salt, and would be interested in personal knowledge, if anyone has it. Thanks.</p>
<p>My boy/girl twins are residential freshmen at UMCP, and my daughter routinely parks at 1 a.m. in a college lot and walks to her dorm (we’re all night owls in my family, and my DD visits home once a week to work at her job and goes back late to College Park). She either calls a friend or the campus security to accompany her at that hour, and she carries mace. She’s had no issues after a year and says she feels very safe, but it’s always best to be prepared and take precautions.</p>
<p>My impression is that the Temple campus is safe. However, up until this year, there was not a ton a on-campus housing and many students lived in neighborhoods to the west that used to be notoriously dangerous. Those neighborhoods have seen much new construction, but they are still questionable at night because they are close to a violent sub-culture that stretches for generations. I don’t say this because of fear of minorities - there are plenty of other mostly African American neighborhoods in Philadelphia that are safe.</p>
<p>Much of the crime that has been reported in the newspaper in the area involves professional drug dealers robbing students who are amateur drug dealers. </p>
<p>If you look at the homicide maps that are available online, the areas closer to Temple’s medical complex are worse than crime near the main campus.</p>
<p>If you look at homicide mapping in the DC area (which is available online), the eastern 1/4 of DC and adjacent areas of Prince George’s County are the violent crime centers of the region. I imagine UMCP is safe, but you need to carefully choose your neighborhood if you live off-campus.</p>
<p>Thank you both.</p>
<p>My best friend’s dau is a soph at Temple. The first year she lived in one of the apt towers & this year she is commuting from home (Bucks Co). She is doing the commuting because she was disgusted with the roommates she was assigned last year & the apt situation and she wants to save her (single) Mom the money, and it was her decision & in fact suggestion. </p>
<p>My friend agonized constantly about the crimes reported near Temple and against T students, but her daughter said, “If you are careful & don’t do stupid things, you will be OK.” My friend’s hobby is being a worrywart, too.</p>
<p>So, yes, there is trouble, but if the student “does not do stupid things” he or she will do fine.</p>
<p>The most common crime in all cities in the US is now the snatching of smart phones. I keep trying to tell my daughter to not walk down city streets with your Iphone within plain view.</p>