College campuses across the nation may be becoming more dangerous. The Secret Service, FBI and the U.S. Department of Education, in a joint effort, conducted the first comprehensive analysis of more than 272 incidents of "targeted violence" on college campuses during the past century. The study, "Campus Attacks: Targeted Violence Affecting Institutions of Higher Education," unveiled the troubling statistic that almost three-fifths of these attacks occurred during the past two decades. Released on the third anniversary of the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech that resulted in 33 deaths, the study is particularly relevant for students and University administrators today to reduce the chances of violent incidents on Grounds.
Of the 272 incidents reported during the 108-year span the study covered, 79 occurred during the 1990s and 83 between 2000 and 2008. These numbers do not necessarily indicate that campuses have become less safe during this time period - other factors that may have contributed to this rise such as growing student populations at many schools, expanding media coverage of these incidents and stricter federal regulations requiring colleges and universities to report crimes more often than in the past. More unsettling, however, was that the violent acts examined by the study often involved premeditation and lethal force.
In light of these findings, there are a number of steps the University and the Office of Emergency Preparedness can take to strengthen safety on Grounds and raise student awareness about possible threats to their well-being. Described by the University's website as "the resource for faculty, staff and students to receive text message alerts from U.Va. about potential, developing, or existing emergencies," the U.Va. Alerts system is perhaps the most visible step taken in recent years to curb the risk of danger to students. Students are strongly encouraged to sign up before they matriculate and are afforded the opportunity to do so during the rest of their time at the University. The University exercises superb discretion before sending out text-alerts and reserves use of the program for dire emergencies. Inherently, this strengthens the system as students are comforted by the fact that they will not be spammed by constant updates.
Additionally, the University should recognize that a large portion of the student body lives off Grounds and thus safety in the immediate vicinity of the University must remain a top priority. Student Council's Lighten' Up campaign was a helpful start to addressing this problem, but more can be done by the University to collaborate with local landlords, Charlottesville police and local business owners to better student safety. Increased lighting, more legal access points to cross railroad tracks and increased residential area patrolling are three examples of small changes that can significantly improve the safety of University students in the local community.
Ultimately, of course, safety is in the hands of the students. It is a testament to the relative security of Grounds that many students feel safe enough to walk alone at night and not put too much thought into protecting themselves from potential danger. Given this fact, it is especially important that students be mindful that Grounds is an open community and that anyone from the outside can enter and disrupt the normal flow of activities at any time.
Three years ago last Friday, students nationwide were taught the difficult lesson that just one person can bring an entire college community to its knees. Safety starts with each individual; every student must make sure to be adequately prepared and alert to their surroundings. We certainly hope that such a tragedy never strikes the University, but students and administrators alike must do everything possible to minimize the risk of violence on Grounds.
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