Reports of crime in the city and on campus have frustratingly common over the past two years. What we have not seen is a significant increase in effective campus safety measures from UW staff or Madison/UW Police Departments. Time and time again, crimes such as sexual assault, robbery and murder are reported across campus and throughout the city. There were the murders of Kelly Nolan in the summer of 2007 and Brittany Zimmerman in the summer of 2008, and the robbery of Associated Bank on State Street last January, to name a few. Last Monday night, a man was mugged and pistol-whipped right in front of my very own residence. Each time these incidents take place, the university acknowledges them and offers advice on how to prevent them from happening - and each time these measures fail to adequately address crime on campus.
Fourty-eight hours after hearing about the bloody pistol-whipping/mugging victim that my roommate had to tend to while I was at work, I received an e-mail from Dean of Students Lori Berquam titled Think Safety 24/7 this semester"". This e-mail included suggestions such as ""use 'radar' or common sense as a first defense,"" ""sign up for Wisc-Alerts Text, the emergency text messaging system,"" and, of course, to always walk with a friend.
This bland e-mail, addressed to ""UW-Madison student,"" was more of the same for me. Repeatedly, campus safety is an issue and the university focuses on what students should do differently without any regard to the nature of the incidents. The university cannot call for the same safety methods that continuously fail to prevent incidents from occurring. It is clear that the vulnerability of students and staff will not change until the university focuses on what it should do differently.
For starters, the university seriously needs to reconsider the structure of the SAFE (Safe Arrival For Everyone) Nighttime services. If Berquam insists that students ""make use of SAFE,"" students need to see a greater commitment toward the program. I frequently hear horror stories of the SAFEride leaving students on the streets. Negativity has also recently surrounded the SAFEwalk program of late, as last spring 11 student employees resigned as the program cut a student walk team due to lack of funds. With safety an oft-growing concern on this campus, cutting a student service due to money is out of the question.
As my tuition and segregated fees increase each year, I'd rather see some of the money I'm putting forth go toward a program that benefits the student population in an active way. I have a hard time feeling ""SAFE"" using a program that shuts down before bar time for those that indulge on the weekends or students spending late nights at the library. Berquam cannot insist on using this program until the university bucks up and makes this program work to better benefit students. Simply increasing student patrols and working hours during finals week is not enough. Students deserve access to these measures all year. This is in no way a definite solution to the very difficult problem of campus safety, but UW-Madison needs to get serious and start addressing the problem practically.
I have no doubt that the university is working to adapt new safety strategies, but the frequency of violent crime demands prompt attention, and we must be made aware of these efforts. It is inexcusable to leave us high and dry with no information aside from the recycled lecture I received last week.
Dan Josephson is a senior majoring in political science and legal studies. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
