<p>All colleges issue Cleary reports which show on-campus crime statistics. These reports are a starting place when checking campus security. However, the Cleary reports don't tell the whole story. As with college rankings, some colleges manipulate the Cleary report numbers. Parents may want to meet and talk with campus security. Campus security is often very open about the actual situation on campusses. They rarely see prospective students or parents and are delighted that someone is taking an interest in their jobs. </p>
<p>Don't forget to ask about pedestrian/vehicular accidents. These are not yet included in the Clery reports. Some campuses have poor traffic designs and high accident rates. Being a safe walker doesn't save keep your child from being seriously injured or killed by an unsafe driver, any more than being chaste prevents a young woman from being sexually molested by a predator.</p>
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Put thousands of young adults together, too much alchohol, etc, and there will be some problems.
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Also remember that people up to no good know that students sometimes let their guard down on their campus and in the neighborhood where student rent houses/apartments. They may gravitate to the campus neighborhood because of this.</p>
<p>Back in my residence life day, my biggest pet peeve was propped exterior doors. I also remember residents propping their room doors when they went to the shower. It drove me crazy! </p>
<p>Please, please talk to your kids about this. It's a "no brainer" to us, but they feel at home in their halls and they don't think about how attractive a building full of computers and electronics is to a potential thief.</p>
<p>By the way, at orientation, most schools have a parent session with the head of security of Chief of the campus police department. They want you to ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable with leaving your child at school.</p>
<p>And don't think about the foolish things you did xxty years ago! Around 3 am, mid January, huge campus, tall woman returning from girlfriend's dorm on U Ave to her lakeshore dorm, Parka hood up, walking fast, zero traffic, sees two very tall figures approaching her, they get closer...says hi to two of her friends! The man who lived near me was escorting the woman back to the dorm I had left... What did I do? Of course I kept going, returning and having an escort wasn't worth another 10-20 minutes in the cold, snowy weather. Fastforward xxty years (ok, 35+), SOAR program for son at UW- notice the bit of woods along the path I had avoided that night in favor of the street is now parklike- trees, no brush, emergency call boxes, escort services, coed dorms and a very nice security talk for parents.</p>
<p>Don't obssess about crime statistics, as previous posters state, they can be misleading. Try to make sure your child has an awareness of what can go wrong, then trust him/her. There is a reason kids go away to college- so paranoid parents can't hover. You can scare yourself about even the safest situations, so keep ignorant and blissful. Knowing all the bad possibilities won't change anything except your fear. Being across town or across the country won't change anything, except you won't learn about every crime as easily. And what do you do when you hear about the crime on the campus you thought was so much safer than that other campus? With all the current awareness of campus crime presume the college with the best fit also takes care of safety issues, don't deny your child a great college experience because of such fears.</p>
<p>I am with cmbmom. You can't control every variable and you have to let go to some extent when your child leaves home but I also researched safety issues around all colleges my D applied to and would not be happy about sending her to an area that I felt was "unsafe".</p>
<p>I was reading about anxious mothers and I am certainly one of them. My son drowned in a Cornell gorge w/o ever knowing the dangers that the deeper parts of the water are like. He was pulled down by a strong current and though people tried to save him, the currents were too strong…no info was given about this no appropriate signage…We are pursuing strong messages to the Pres. etal…I think there is a disconnect when there are so many students and it seems overwhelming to get control over all dangers… but many things need to be done…there is strength in numbers…if any Cornell parents want to join us to prevent other senseless deaths, please contact me.</p>
<p>OP - I’m glad you posted this. I’ll also be one of those anxious mothers checking on security at the colleges DS is interested in. My mom did it for me years ago when I went to college, and I think it’s a good idea. She called the police dept. for their criminal records around the area, and the officer told her that he wished more parents did the same.</p>
<p>I’m a worrier. But I learned that the city colleges situated near tougher neighborhoods tend to have large, diligent campus police force. </p>
<p>Reading the crime log in student paper at DS’s city campus during Parent Weekend I noted a lot of listings. But as noted above, most involved excessive drinking. </p>
<p>OP - Like many other things in the college search, research the safety angle. But just consider it one of very many factors involved.</p>
<p>Omg mrmrmom! That is awful. So sorry for your loss. That is tragic.</p>
<p>I get the emails from my younger s’s college crime report. Got a report one day this past spring of early morning arson fires at several house along a road near the frat houses. Didnt think much of it as DS lives several blocks away, until I later found out he was at his GF’s that night and not only was her house on that street, it was the first house victimized by the arson fires! Oh, and they set fire to the porch,and her room was the first one on the other side of the porch. Stuff happens, but dont let it paralyze you. Older s lived off campus his soph yr in a gentrifying area of a city that had a hugh migration of Katrina victims after the storm. So even if you do your homework. Stuff happens. We cant totally provide for their safety. Try not to worry.</p>