Like most of her classmates, Freshman Hollen Spatz has found her new home of three months to be a relatively safe and friendly place. Comparing Tufts to her hometown New Haven, CT, Spatz said she doesn't think "crime has a strong presence" on campus.
How can a mid-sized university campus on the outskirts of a large city have seemingly little crime? According to Sophomore Evan Berg, the feeling of safety at Tufts comes from mutual respect among students.
"Basically I feel safe on campus because most students have enough respect for the school that they do their individual parts to reduce crime," he said.
But University crime statistics, and the handful of students associated with them, show that crime is not absent from campus. The Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) alone - 24 officers and 17 officials strong, not to mention traffic and security officers - indicates the reality of crime and a need to control it.
While generally pleased with Tufts students' conduct, Berg notes one exception to the rule: "except when they're drunk," he said. Last year, there were 190 liquor law violations at Tufts, up from 104 violations in 1998. Burglaries in 2000 totaled 27, almost double the year before. And drug law violations rose to 54, a dramatic increase from 20 and 35 in 1998 and 1999, respectively.
Regardless of how insignificant these crimes may seem to some students, they can affect quality of life on campus. And there are certainly more serious crimes. With the limited number of aggravated assaults that occur each year or the handful of sexual assaults, or even the robberies and occasional car theft, there are victims. These are the students who feel insecure in leaving an item of value even for a short time, or who never walk alone at night, or who have learned to lock their door every time they leave their rooms. These are the students who make up the statistics.
Junior Jeff Fox learned to lock his door early in his life at Tufts. As a freshman, Fox lost a leather jacket, a laptop, a cell phone, and cash when someone broke into his room.
"I was surprised by how easy it was to get into a Tufts dorm," Fox said. Since the theft, Fox has become more wary and defensive, although he feels that the TUPD has been more visible throughout the past few years than when he first arrived on campus.
Newly instituted programs like Students Sexual Assault Response Assistance (SSARA) and the student escort program aim to prevent crime and help students who have fallen prey to crime in the past.
SSARA was formed in October as a response to the large number of college students who are sexually assaulted during their academic career. Although SSARA is still in its trial stages, one member says that the 24-hour service has already made an impact at Tufts. Students can call the service and leave a phone number where they can be reached, as well as a description of their problem, and a member of SSARA calls back within 15 minutes with assistance and available resources for the student.
TUPD has always offered an escort service for students that operates from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., but recently added a student-run escort service. Under the new program, three students are available from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. to walk students to their room if they feel unsafe. Both programs have been met with praise.
"I think that both SSARA and the student escorts are excellent resources," Spatz said, adding that the escorts need more visibility on campus.
"SSARA is really good about advertising themselves," Spatz said. "Maybe the student escorts should try a little more, though. I wouldn't even know where to find their number."
