Students should follow safety guidelines

Ever heard these phrases? “Don’t go out alone late at night.” “Make sure that you have your cell phone and it is charged before you leave.” “Make sure you know what is going on around you.” “Call me when you get there so I know that you are okay.”

I’d wager you’ve heard them all more times than you’d like from your mother or another guardian who, believe it or not, isn’t trying to smother your new found independence with their suggestions. Their nagging comments are just their way to make sure you do not forget such simple things that you have to do to stay safe.

You’d think with all that nagging every student on campus would listen, but it never fails that students leave themselves vulnerable by being at the wrong place at the wrong time so that they become a crime victim. Although it is never the victim’s fault, why put yourself in harm’s way when you don’t have to?

The crime rate on campus has decreased two years in a row. The Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD) reported a 22.3 percent reduction in overall crime from 2004 to 2005.

Statistics like that make it is easy to forget that while in the “Tech Bubble” we still have to be careful. However, there are plenty of statistics that should remind students to be careful. Incidents of robbery, aggravated assault and burglary all increased by at least 50 percent this past year. You do not even have to look that far back to realize that there is still crime on campus, as earlier this month a student was robbed at knifepoint near Quizno’s.

Additionally, vehicle break-ins and burglaries have increased at the CRC, and there have been two sexual assaults reported on campus.

The point of bringing these crimes up is not to scare you, but to make sure you have the facts to realize we don’t live in Pleasantville or next to the Cleavers.

The GTPD does an excellent job of patrolling campus and working to prevent crime. In fact, the entire campus community should be very grateful for all that they do. I was recently stranded in the center of campus one early morning because my parking lot was full and I had to move to another one. All it took was one call to GTPD and they were willing to escort me back to my dorm safely. However, had I not called they would not have known I needed help and GTPD cannot keep students from acting irresponsibly.

So while it may not be too imperative you eat your vegetables or drink eight glasses of water a day like your mom tells you to, it is imperative that you heed the following basic safety guidelines to protect yourself on and off of Tech’s campus.

Bikes and cars are frequent targets for crime on campus. Bikes can be registered for free with GTPD, so that they can be tracked if they are stolen; they should be secured with an U-lock to a bike rack.

Students need to make sure to always roll up windows, lock car doors and park in well-lit areas. Thieves only want in your car if there is something worth having, so make sure not to leave anything valuable in plain view.

Although it seems the most obvious, make sure you lock your dorm room when you leave and to never leave your valuables unattended. Also, make sure to record the serial numbers of valuable items such as laptops, televisions and stereos in case they are lost or stolen.

In terms of personal safety, make sure to walk in well lit areas, be aware of your surroundings, report any suspicious people on campus and keep a cell phone with you that has GTPD’s number, 404-894-2500, programmed on it.

If you are ever approached by someone who has a weapon or claims that they will hurt you if you don’t give them your purse or a wallet, you should comply and not resist. If a crime does happen, make sure to report it to authorities as soon as possible and to get a good description of anyone involved.

If the above guidelines are followed, then crime will continue decreasing on campus simply because there will be less opportunity for crime to occur. At the end of the day it all comes down to not acting recklessly and listening to your mom.