I’m not a big risk taker. Sure I’ve had my moments, but for the most part I like to stay on the safe side. I always charge my phone at night, I wear my seat belt and my doors are always locked.
After spending the summer here in Peoria, my risk phobia has heightened. At Bradley it’s easy to forget that we are right on the outskirts of a decently sized city and some not so friendly neighborhoods. But in reality is there is nothing stopping crime from occurring on campus.
According to the city of Peoria’s crime index for July, the number of criminal sexual assaults recorded has increased by 43 percent since last July.
Additionally the city of Peoria’s crime map shows that in the time between June 1 and August 30, there were 54 counts of crimes including robbery, sexual assault and burglary that occurred in the “Bradley Bubble.”
Needless to say, the Bradley community is not as perfect as some believe it to be.
Not to say that Bradley police are not doing an adequate job protecting and serving campus, but that no matter how safe you feel here you need to be careful.
I know a few people on campus who rarely lock their doors. To me this is absurd. Why would you ever want to take the chance that someone you’re not close to will find out and take advantage of the opportunity? Why would you want to make yourself vulnerable?
In the past three years of my time spent on campus, there have been several events that endangered a student’s safety or had the potential to do so.
For those who were not on campus at the time, two years ago a girl was mugged on her walk back from the library to her dorm room in Williams.
This is why I was surprised to hear many freshmen students have not already signed up for BUforwarn.
Although the system has had its flaws, it still sends a text message to every student registered to notify them when an incident occurs on campus. I find this system beneficial and a positive form of communication between the police and students on campus.
Why wouldn’t someone want to be warned of crime or violence occurring on campus, especially if you are a freshmen and your only form of transportation is your feet. I also extend this concern to those who are residents of Main Street Commons and walk through CampusTown late at night.
Make sure you lock the doors and windows to your houses, and don’t walk alone.
I encourage everyone to aware of your surroundings and be cautious of what is going on around you. Maybe you think I am being paranoid but I don’t care. You can never be too safe.
