<p>Visited NU on Sunday, enjoyed the campus very much, but i was surprised at the lack of "blue light" security kiosks (or whatever they're called). Other urban schools touted their blue lights always being visible from one to the next (ie you can't ever be on campus without seeing a blue light, press the button and you have help within 3 minutes, etc). I had to struggle to find any of the blue lights, looked like there were some attached to buildings but not free-standing. The kids we talked to said there's always police riding around on bikes, but that doesn't comfort me as the mother of a girl.</p>
<p>Also, the IV housing having to walk through the bus/train terminal...just kinda didn't love that. Bus stations are just seedy. LOL and I lived in Chicago for many many years!</p>
<p>Any thoughts from students? Parents? Appreciate it.</p>
<p>My D is a first year student there… and lives in IV. You can get to IV without going through the train station - it is just a longer walk. She was never a city girl - and always the type to question/worry/fear everything - and has not complained even once about not feeling safe on campus. She almost always walks at night with at least one other person - usually more. There have been a few times when she was walking back to IV at night (maybe around 9 or 10) by herself - and she would call me and talk to me while she walked back. I have been to campus a few times - and there is definitely a police presence.</p>
<p>IV also happens to literally be across the street from the Boston Police (it’s located at 1 Schroeder Plaza, Boston, MA 02120). That sounds rather safe to me…</p>
<p>Virtually all my campus tours have been led by girls, and virtually all of them have said they don’t know anyone who has used one of those blue lights, and that they themselves had never had an occasion to use one. I don’t know that those lights keep you safer than carrying your cell phone on you at all times.</p>
<p>I’m only a prospective student, but I’ve researched campus safety a LOT, and I am an overly cautious person (a.k.a. girl with a history of sexual harassment). But I am hoping to attend Northeastern and live in IV next year and I find it to be safe, or as safe as city schools come! I’ll shut up and let the school speak for itself now… [Public</a> Safety](<a href=“Home - Northeastern University's Police Department”>Home - Northeastern University's Police Department)</p>
<p>No reason to worry about safety on campus. I never had any problems and I don’t know anyone who did. Avoid the fens at night (no problem during the day… used to run there all the time) and don’t wander into roxbury (no reason you’d need to go there anyway). </p>
<p>Campus itself is safe and pretty well monitored by campus security and I’ve never known anyone to have any “incidents” while there.</p>
<p>The blue lights are actually all over, even if (sorry) you didn’t see them. I know exactly where all of the ones on main campus and on hem street are, just because I see them so often. They are all attached to buildings… but there are buildings everywhere. But using your phone is just as great. I’ve only ever called once (and it was a mistake- I was supposed to call the non-emergency line) and they take the emergency line VERY seriously. I once saw a minor fight start, and by the time I decided I should call just to let them know, the NUPD were there and broke it up.</p>
<p>There was a ranking that came out a couple years ago that had NU as #2 for safest campus, but I think the metrics had more to do with preventative stuff and resources for staying safe versus actual amount of crime. I graduated in 2010 and now live on the other side of the Fens. The school is very safe and there are blue lights everywhere even if they did not point them out. I walk and job through the Fens all the time at night and havent had any issues (if i were a girl i wouldnt walk alone at night though). I would say the NU campus is much safer than a lot of the neighborhoods in Boston (namely Allston, which is much more crime-ridden)</p>
<p>Also, the sketchiest part of the fens (in my opinion) that was there when I moved in 4 years ago, has since been torn down and turned into athletic fields that are lit up all the time.</p>
<p>I’m a tour guide, and I tell people (the truth that) I’ve never felt concerned at all anywhere near campus. Honestly in my four years in Boston, I’ve only felt nervous once or twice when I had to take the bus down Mass Ave to Washington Street late at night- which is remarkable since I’m a huge chicken.</p>
<p>For where it is located, campus is freakishly safe. If you’re at all concerned, just have her make sure that she has someone to walk back to the dorm with late at night, but I’ve been out late at night and haven’t so much seen a sketchy individual, let alone felt threatened (I am a guy, so take that with a grain of salt).</p>
<p>The campus is always patrolled, I’ve almost never walked across it without seeing some kind of police officer. Transit Police usually hang out in Ruggles, and its well lit at all times. I wouldn’t hang out there at 4AM, but walking across isn’t an issue.</p>
<p>Granted, I’m from New York so I’m not exactly intimidated by train stations. There are rougher people around than you’ll find in the suburbs, but its not something to fear, use common sense and she’ll be fine.</p>
<p>I am a female student here. I lived on Hemenway last year and on Columbus (near IV) this year, both in dorms. I can say that considering the size and location of NU it is freakishly safe! There is a HUGE police presence… NUPD and BPD constantly on bikes, on foot, in cars, etc. Also, there are other ways to get to NU but I’ve walked that way many times and even through the night there are always police there. NU is truly exceptional with safety and was ranked the 2nd safest school in the country.</p>
<p>Two cool programs worth noting 1) There is a 24/7 police escort service. You just call the public safety number and they will come to you and take you home or wherever you need to go. Also, 2) There is a shuttle service at the library that picks up students every half hour and drops them off at dorms around campus so if you are ever studying late there are other options.</p>
<p>My son is in IV and walks through Ruggles all the time. He has never felt unsafe there or anywhere on campus. My daughter visited him there and took the train into and home from the Ruggles station and was surprised at how safe she felt-my kids are definitely country/suburban kids and my daughter is afraid of everything!</p>
<p>I am glad bella mentioned those services-although my son tells me he has never used them he has friends who have and they are great.</p>
<p>I think it is pretty remarkable that for a campus that size in the middle of a city they manage to do such a great job. They warn the kids about areas to avoid-like walking through the Fens at 3AM alone-common sense but to kids not raised in a city something they might do. The kids know where to not go alone-he does some volunteer work in Roxbury and they walk to it but always in a group-and when they cut through the Fens at night (even though I wish he didn’t do that) it is always in big groups.</p>
<p>It’s not the kind of campus you can leave a laptop or cell phone hanging around though-it’s a big school with lots of people coming and going. </p>
<p>The last comment I have is how seriously they take dorm safety. You aren’t getting into the living area without signing in and showing a photo ID-period-at least at IV where he lives.</p>
<p>If my daughter is interested in looking at the school when she starts the process I wouldn’t have any concerns about the safety-although I did when we were looking with my son and I think they are valid concerns. Once you have a student there though you see that what they talked about at admitted students day about safety issues and police presence isn’t just a sales pitch-they deliver.</p>
<p>The dorm safety comment above is true for all dorms. Every resident needs their NUID or a valid state/federal ID to get in. To bring guests who don’t live in your building, even other NEU students, you need to sign them in (with their own NUID or official IDs) and there is a maximum to how many students you can sign in at once. Except when they are a little more relaxed during move-in (but still, its usually the case anyway) the resident always has to be at the front door when their guests come in, even if the guests have already been signed in once.</p>
<p>Since you need an NUID, the computer system checks to make sure you are supposed to be there and it’ll say no to any banned students. There is also a banned list at every dorm, and there have definitely been cases where students were removed and banned from a/all dorms for doing something bad.</p>
<p>It’s more strict than most schools where you just need a key or swipe card to get in, but there is no proctor, but it is easier than a couple of BU’s dorms (where you need your roommate to sign a form in order to have someone spend the night). Students complain all the time about the hassle of swiping or signing guests in, but it is WAS safer than at most schools and everyone I know would definitely choose this over free-access.</p>