<p>I got this e-mail and I thought I’d share it with this internet crowd. Students, considering sending this on to your moms and dads, I think they will appreciate it.</p>
<p>I’ll be happy to share my own thoughts and experiences regarding crime and campus safety.</p>
<p>First, all of my interactions with the UCPD have been great. On the first day I was on campus, a parent was having a seizure and a passerby hit a blue emergency light-- the UCPD took care of the situation within seconds. Some of my friends are out and about on campus late at night (DJ’s at the radio station, editors for the newspaper, pulling a late night at the library) and the UCPD have been happy to bring them home, either by walking escort or by police car.</p>
<p>Second, I think that these kinds of special considerations come with the territory of going to an urban school. I have friends at other great schools who are also having an awesome time (Penn, Columbia, NYU, Harvard, Yale etc.) but feel as equally concerned about their safety as I do and take many of the preventative steps that I do. (i.e. being aware, avoiding walking alone, etc.) Some students might not be up for the challenges than an urban campus offers, and in that case, perhaps a rural or suburban campus is a better fit. My general point is that the challenges and considerations that U of C students have are not unlike those of other students at other top schools.</p>
<p>Third, I’m happy to report on a pure anecdotal basis that I’ve never had problems with crime. Then again, I do my part in trying not to be a victim, but my impression is that you can avoid many potentially dangerous situations by using the University’s resources.</p>
<p>Very true, unalove. We lived just off-campus when DH was at Penn for grad school and one must use common sense. We still had a couple of incidents, including a smash-and-run during broad daylight, and an armed robbery on our front porch at 2 am – there were eight people sitting on the porch at the time. I carried a whistle – only had to use it once. </p>
<p>I have to say that the Penn campus police were not nearly as transporting late-night students as Chicago is. However – my experience dates from the late 1980s, so things may have changed since then, esp. with the recent crime issues in Philly.</p>