Just recently a 22-year-old nursing student was killed on the University of Georgia campus while she was out jogging. Police investigating this crime used security camera footage and physical evidence to find the suspect.
College and university campuses are not unaccustomed to crimes. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the most common offenses on campuses in 2021 included burglary, rape, motor vehicle theft, fondling and aggravated assault.
Most college campuses have security officers or police departments on campus, but these individuals are focused more on crimes involving drug and alcohol violations, rather than the violent crimes that occur.
A survey from the Department of Education revealed that of the 21,816 reported arrests on college campuses in 2021, 50% were drug abuse violations, 41% were liquor law violations, and the remaining 9% were weapons violations.
A few questions still remain: Why are so many violent crimes occurring with no arrests being made, and what are these schools doing to provide students with a safer campus?
Instead of spending millions of dollars on their sports programs, schools should spend their money on better security cameras, more lighting on campus at night, emergency blue light phones, as well as resources for victims of crimes.
The University of Texas at Austin is well known for their sports, and it is located right in the middle of one of the largest cities in Texas.
While the athletics department is spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year, the UTPD received only $8 million in 2020 to split over the span of four years for improvements in security around West Campus.
With the money received, they planned to invest in better security cameras, hiring more officers, and bringing in more lighting in the area.
For schools like Del Mar, students do not live on campus, which causes the crime rate to be significantly lower than schools that offer on-campus housing.
While the safety of Del Mar students isn’t as much of a concern, considering it is a commuter school, it is still highly advised that students remain vigilant and aware of their surroundings.
