College life for many students means freedom and a chance to find ones true self. As students leave home for college parents are proud but also worry about what awaits the incoming freshman. Crime is present even on campuses and some may argue that crime is more prevalent on college campuses. Some campuses have more crime than others and it largely depends on the city. Under aged drinking, drug use, and rape are the major crimes people fear when attending college.
Research by Noonan and Vavra stated that school related crime is “one of the most troublesome social problems in the nation” (Hess & Orthmann, p. 251). This type of crime is something that does not need to be over looked but some of it is blown out of proportion. Incidents on campuses receive a large amount of media coverage which makes it seem more widespread than other crimes. People create a negative idea of college life based on what is aired on television. Media latches onto anything that will get views and headlines about crime involving minors or college students are attention grabbers. This creates an unrealistic idea that campuses are a place to be feared. Contrary to this idea, FBI research shows that less than four percent of crime from 2000 to 2005 took place on college campuses or in public schools (Hess & Orthmann, p. 251). Such a low percentage over a five year period should open eyes. This is not to say that the offenses should be taken any less serious, but people should realize that college campuses should not be feared. Most of the offenders on campuses are white males and most crimes committed on campuses are nonfatal crimes. The victims are typically female and most do not know their attacker personally. Other crimes include vandalism and underage consumption which can have various victims.
Campuses across the nation have made steps toward making life safer for students. One major step is having a University police force. This allows the officers to focus on the needs to the students and the university. Officers can also respond quicker to calls for help or deviant acts. Most high schools have resource officers which can prepare students to have someone to turn to with great authority when they reach college. The first campus police force was established in 1894 at Yale University (Hess & Orthmann, p. 254). The first campus police were not highly educated and did not have proper facilities for work, but it was the beginning to something that would become much larger. Most university police forces today have complete authority and can write tickets and make arrests. Some officers carry cuffs, tasers, or guns. One requirement of campus law enforcement is to report appropriately in accordance with the Clergy Act. The clergy act was created after the rape and murder of Jeanne Ann Clergy April 5, 1986. The offenses occurred in her own dorm room while she was asleep. The Clergy Act requires all campuses to disclose information regarding crime near and on the premises.
Other steps to ensure safety for the students and faculty of universities include crisis plans, technology, and zero tolerance policies. Officers of universities know the grounds well and are familiar with evacuation procedures. Crisis planning ensures that everyone is taken care of in a manner that is safe and effective. Examples of crisis planning are fire drills, tornado drills, and evacuations. Most buildings will also have maps that inform people of where to go for particular situations. Advancement in technology has helped law enforcement in all areas. Constant surveillance provides officers with eyes all over campus and evidence of offenses. This does not replace footwork but when accompanied with footwork coverage and help are greatly expanded. Text alerts and emails have also been utilized by campuses. Students nearly always have their phone on them which makes communication of dangerous events on campus and near campus quick and effective. By communicating to students that something has happened students know they need to be alert and possibly even go home. Though some cell phone policies in classrooms keep students from using and checking their phones, which creates a delay in the chain of communication. A delayed reaction to a notification can be better than none at all. The next step in safety is creating policies. Many campuses have zero-tolerance policies that establish punishments for specific offenses. The zero-tolerance policies are typically policies that based on common sense. Policies such as no weapons and no tobacco are common policies. Some campuses are even considered to be dry campuses and have a no alcohol policy. Students will still break these policies, but by setting out the punishment in advance students are aware of boundaries and consequences. Punishments can include suspension or expulsion from the university.
Most female students fear rape or theft and will likely travel in groups. Group travel on any campus for all genders should be a common practice because offenders are less likely to attack a group. Males on universities do not typically worry about being raped but are concerned about their property. Offenses can occur at any time of the day but mostly occur in the hours of the night and early morning when most people sleep. This includes offenses of under aged drinking because most drinking occurs at parties. Students do not generally concern themselves with underage drinking but most do over estimate the percentage at which this offense occurs. Theft can happen within housing residents and sometimes happen between roommates.
The University of Arkansas Fort Smith is a relatively tame campus. Offenses that do occur are theft, drinking, underage drinking, drug use, and vandalism. Listing the crimes makes the campus seem terrible, but the frequency is not as high as that of other campuses. Theft mainly occurs between the washers and dries of the campus and some bikes are stolen if not locked properly. The Fort Smith campus has a no alcohol policy but people of age still want to exercise their right to drink. The police may not arrest people of age that drink on campus unless they commit another crime, are repeat offenders, or have caused a large scene. However, if the offender is of age and lives on campus he or she can be written up or evicted. If the offender is of age but does not live on campus he or she will be asked to leave the grounds. People underage drink on campus because other people are drinking at gathering or parties. Students do take pills on campus to focus or relieve stress, smoke marijuana, and smoke tobacco. This happens all over the country on a daily basis. Just because it happens all over does not make it acceptable, but it goes to show that campuses are covered heavily by the media. Many students think that it is fun to write on the signs of the commons and make the names of the buildings something funny, but no serious vandalism has occurred in the past few years. The signs had to be rewashed by the maintenance faculty. Most notable crime happens around the perimeter of the campus grounds. The text alert system is used on the campus and has been very effect. It is alarming to receive an alert, but the communication does the job. Aside from video surveillance and text alerts the university also utilizes 24 hour patrol and emergency alert towers. All of the steps taken by the University of Arkansas Fort Smith make the campus much safer and keep the city violence away from the students as much as possible. This all helps the minds of the students and parents of students to not worry or fear crime on campus.Larger cities such as Fayetteville tend to have more problems with crime on campuses. There are more students to keep up with on much larger grounds and the city itself is very large. The number of officers needed to take care of a larger campus is much higher. Fayetteville is also a wet campus and alcohol is not known for making people behave.
Over the years campuses have learned from mistakes and bad situations. This has led to better security, policies, and officers. Advanced technology has led to better ways to communicate to students, faculties, and fellow officers when crime is happening or has happened. Crime is not as prevalent on campuses as the media makes most people believe, but it does exist. Most of the crimes believed to happen at Universities does happen on some level, but not necessarily on a high frequency or more than it would occur outside of campus. Larger campuses have a harder time keeping city crime at bay as well as keeping the university safe because it requires more spread out manpower. Security measures have to grow as universities grow in order to keep the same level or even a better level of safety.

References
Hess, K., & Orthmann, C. (2011). Police operations: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Australia: Delmar Cengage Learning.