<p>I am wondering if any current or recent students at UR can comment on the safety on the River Campus and surroundings. The campus itself and the area around Strong Memorial seem pretty lively and safe. On the other hand the area just over the river, as well as both sides of the river when heading downtown including areas not very far from campus, seem pretty run-down and possibly dangerous. Any thoughts? In particular, if you were working late at a lab or in the library and walking back to your dorm alone after dark, would you feel safe? And, is it safe to go off campus into nearby neighborhoods to shop, eat , etc.?</p>
<p>Weldon, in addition to being an Admissions Counselor at UR, I also graduated in 2004. Safety on campus was never a problem for me or my female friends. UR has a great "blue light" system. If there's ever a problem all you have to do is run to the "blue light," pick up the phone, and you are connected to security. Each year, we have a "blue light" walk where students and faculty members roam the campus looking for dim areas. The goal is to put more "blue lights" in place. </p>
<p>Also, UR has an escort service for late nights when you are at the library or a dorm. If you feel at all nervous, call security and they will personally escort you to your destination. </p>
<p>Lastly, directly across the river, we now have Riverview Apartments which houses upper-class students. A classy hotel was also just built right across the bridge. In the near future, a coffee house will also be built. The area will be a college town in no time!</p>
<p>dweinerman:
I'm not naive. I realize that crime is part of urban environments. My other child went to school in a city where muggings were an everyday event. However, please don't just tout the same sort of information you can find in a UR brochure. The truth is, crime happens around the campus. Your own campus news just reported a robbery by the Riverview Apartments, where an undergraduate was held up by 2 teens at about 8:30 in the evening. The neighborhood across the bridge is still far from safe. </p>
<p>To the OP: Blue lights and escort services are, of course, vital to campus security, but won't stop all crime. There is no 100% safe campus anywhere in the country. Having said all that, I feel my child is not in danger by being at UR.</p>
<p>Here are better ways to get accurate safety information:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Go to Campus</a> Times, the UR student newspaper, and read current and back issues. Most colleges have online newspapers and publish police logs, so one can compare the relative quantity and quality of incidents in which police were called.</p></li>
<li><p>Go to the campus security office webpage. (I don't have the link memorized.) Universities are required by law to compile safety statistics.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My opinion as a UR parent -- Rochester is probably as safe as many semi-urban schools. There appears to be very little student-student crime; it made news when someone left a cellphone in the library and someone else made expensive calls on it. On the other hand, there are intruders from the outside, mostly in the form of adolescent males, who attempt to grab wallets or who start fights at parties, about five or six times each year. How this compares to the safety environment of other schools you are considering and how important this is in light of the offerings of school is a personal choice; I was more concerned about one of my children who loves jogging in the early AM than about another child who is so social she hates walking alone anywhere.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the input. I am also realistic enough to know that some crime is part of any urban environment (I actually grew up in a large city myself). However, I also recognize that even just comparing urban situations, some are worse than others. So, your observations are very helpful.</p>