With burglary rates ballooning in Charlottesville and assaults on students becoming practically a weekly occurrence, many members of the University community are becoming increasingly concerned about students' personal safety.
Last month, numerous burglaries and peeping incidents in the University neighborhoods of Jefferson Park Avenue, Observatory Hill and Stadium Road areas were reported, according to Charlottesville Police Investigations Detective Randall S. Higgins.
Also at the end of October, two separate robberies against University students occurred, the first on Madison Lane and the second on Shamrock Road. A number of students also have been robbed or assaulted in the 15th Street area behind the Corner since the school year began, with one student reporting both the theft of his car and the invasion of his apartment all in the course of the past two months.
It has been reported by the Charlottesville Police that the 62 City burglaries in October represent almost a 400 percent increase over the number of burglaries in October, according to the Daily Progress.
Perspectives on student safety
Although many University students said they take all of the recommended safety precautions that they can, most said they still do not feel safe.
Second-year College graduate student Daniel Weir, who was the victim of an armed burglary incident on Shamrock Road, said he was held at gunpoint three yards from his house 11:30 on a Sunday night. Weir said the unfortunate event could have been prevented if the University's late-night escort service, Safe Ride, was available to him at that time.
"There is nothing the University does to help you in terms of transportation if you don't live directly on a bus route, and it's hugely frustrating for me that there's no real transportation available," he said.
The University should be more responsible by expanding SafeRide to accommodate and offer assistance to students who do not live near a bus stop, Weir said.
Senior Associate Dean of Students Shamim Sisson countered, however, that SafeRide is a backup system to buses and personal transportation options.
"I am sympathetic that not all students live on a bus route, but taking every student to their door from dusk to daylight is not a feasible system to devise," Sisson said.
Fourth-year College student Aman Haile, who also lives on Shamrock Road, agreed with Weir, and said the University has not provided him with the necessary means to increase his personal safety.
"From my personal perspective and those of my friends, I think the University should do more to address safety off-Grounds," Haile said.
Weir criticized the University's policy regarding off-Grounds housing as "off-hands" and "minimal."
"I think the University should help students find housing in parts of Charlottesville that are safer since we don't know much about the area," he said.
Safety and Security Committee Chair Mark Fletcher said students should carefully consider the circumstances surrounding their off-Grounds housing decisions.
"When it relates to off-Grounds housing, where you choose to live ought to be based on safety issues," Fletcher said.
Warning and educating incoming first years about crimes in Charlottesville is one step, Haile said.
"I get this feeling that I don't know what's going to happen because the University hasn't told me anything," Haile said. "Perhaps they don't because they don't get money from it and there's less incentive in doing so, but I think that looking out for students should be the University's main priority."
Mason Hubbard, chair of Student Council's Safety and Wellness committee, said that she thinks student safety is one of the University's top priorities.
"Every administrator that Student Council has contacted values student input and has really been open to helping us make improvements," Hubbard said. "I think there have definitely been unfortunate events, but the administration and students are working very hard to make the University a safe place."
According to Hubbard, the bi-annual safety walks program, which is designed to evaluate unsafe areas on Grounds, aims to improve student safety. Safety is examined in terms of lighting and the availability of emergency blue phones. Currently, the walks do not include the neighborhoods surrounding the University, where the majority of students reside.
"Once a semester, we take a night tour of the Grounds and look at areas that might need lighting and sidewalks," Fletcher said.
Hubbard said the committee also is evaluating the safety of on-Grounds bus stops, and Parking and Transportation Director Rebecca White said improving the conditions of bus stops is an ongoing process.
Staying secure
Second-year College student Alex Arango, who is a language house coordinator at the Spanish House, said she is concerned about her personal safety.
"I do not feel safe at the University, especially at night," Arango said. "There are many students who don't have the option of walking with somebody in the case they may be walking from work or from the library late at night, and even though they may be taking precautions, this doesn't mean that they're going to be 100 percent safe."
Arango also said she thinks the University could try harder to provide a safe environment for its students.
"I think the University is more focused on sexual assaults and hate crimes but not very focused on street crimes, which also need to be brought to the public," Arango said. "Until something very serious happens, there's not going to be a large movement to make students aware."
As a member of the residence life staff, Arango said she knows what to do in case of a crime-related emergency, but added that many other students may not be as well-informed.
"If I did have a problem, I think that I would be heard because I know who to go to, but many students don't know who to go to, so they just brush it off," she said.
One safety measure Arango said she takes when walking alone at night is having 911 ready on her cell phone in case she needs help.
Richard Hudson, supervisor of the criminal investigation division for the Charlottesville Police, said students should not be afraid to call 911 whenever they feel uncomfortable or sense something suspicious happening.
"Folks think they can't call 911 because it isn't an emergency, but by the time you finish looking for a phone number, you loose interest," Hudson said.
Partners against crime
Charlottesville Mayor David Brown said the University is making an effort to be responsive to students' needs. He said the University and the City have a close working relationship in which they are constantly finding areas in which to cooperate.
One initiative was the creation of a property maintenance inspector position for University neighborhoods, Brown said.
Property Maintenance Inspector Cory Jordan said the University was interested in having one inspector who was devoted full-time to the University neighborhoods.
"I do believe that the position was created due to the University's interest in ensuring that the private housing populated by students was safe and healthful," Jordan said.
Although Jordan is not specifically assigned to work only with students, his enforcement area is largely student-populated, he said.
Brown said having a full-time inspector devoted to the University neighborhoods helps ensure the overall quality -- and safety -- of rental housing available to students. Apartments and housing must be properly securable with functioning locks on all doors and windows.
"The City and the University came to an agreement whereby the University would pay for the expenses incurred by a new inspector for a two-year period," Jordan said.
Another joint initiative between the City and the University is the police patrol system.
University Police Capt. Coleman said his officers are working with the Charlottesville Police to increase officer presence Thursday through Saturday evenings in University neighborhoods such as Wertland Street, Rubgy Road and Madison Lane.
"The reason why the University has decided to assist Charlottesville Police in these areas is because a high proportion of students are there, especially in the evenings and in the early morning," Coleman said.
Common sense safety
University administrators and local police officials agreed that special precautions, such as the SafeRide service and an expanded police presence in student neighborhoods, cannot be a substitute for common sense behavior by students.
"Students should be more careful and aware the later it is because it gets proportionally more dangerous the later it is," Fletcher said. "Should people jog at night 11:30 p.m. or walk from the Corner at 3:00 a.m.? Probably not, but it happens."
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