Langdon Street is dangerous on a weekend night. Hundreds of students stumble along the dimly lit sidewalks going to and from the parties held every weekend at fraternity houses along the street.
These students have become prime targets for the dregs of the society waiting in the shadows, looking for some easy cash or worse.
In response to this situation, several fraternities and sororities started patrolling the streets in groups. Armed with flashlights and reflective gear, they use cell phones to report suspicious behavior to Tony Fiore, the neighborhood police officer.
They encourage vulnerable students to call SAFEwalk or escort the students themselves. The Greeks are not vigilantes—they do not make citizen arrests—but rather are another set of eyes and ears hoping to deter the crime that has plagued Langdon Street.
The Greeks should be commended for their initiative. They have seen a problem that affects them directly and have taken measured steps to protect their neighborhood and the students who frequent it.
But it should not come to this. It is not the Greeks' job to patrol Langdon Street—it is the responsibility of the city of Madison, and, to a lesser extent the university, to make sure our streets are safe at night.
There should be more police officers patrolling Langdon and State Street on foot or on bicycles. Only with an increase of actual police boots on the ground will the crime wave that continues to sweep downtown Madison finally be nipped in the bud.
Also, the university should help out. Instead of sitting in an office waiting for a student to ask for an escort, SAFEwalkers should patrol areas, like Langdon Street, that are most dangerous to students. This seems like a better use of student segregated fees than the current SAFEwalk system.
The city has said it will try to trim trees and replace burnt-out street lamps to improve the visibility on the street, but this is the bare minimum needed. The city needs to put more cops on the street. The Greeks should not have to be responsible for stemming the violence in Madison.
