Many Boston University students said they feel safe on the Charles River campus despite two bank robberies, one stabbing, one armed robbery and 230 thefts that happened on and around Commonwealth Avenue this semester.
As an urban campus, BU is spread through many different neighborhoods, and students said they interact constantly with non-BU affiliates.
‘It’s Boston. I wouldn’t expect it to be super-safe,’ School of Social Work graduate student Sam Harvell said. ‘It’s a big city and there are lots of people. Still, I consider it to be safe, I mean safe enough.’
College of Arts and Sciences senior Joanna Salini also said she feels safe even with the crimes that have taken place this year.
‘I feel pretty safe,’ she said. ‘I live in [Student Village II]. I go back and forth from the library late at night and I never had a problem.’
There have been no cases of rape reported to Boston University Police Department so far in 2009, in comparison to 5 in 2008, according to BU Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jack St. Hilaire.
On the other hand, St. Hilaire said robberies on campus went from 6 last year to 10 this year. Robbery, as opposed to theft, involves the use of violence or threat.
St. Hilaire said almost all thefts involving BU students that have taken place on campus could have been prevented.
Allston has also been the center of many crimes this semester, more than in other years, he said. Allston, although not part of the Charles River campus, is a popular neighborhood for BU students living off-campus.
‘Ashford Street is of concern late at night because it is a party area,’ St. Hilaire said.
Students said they know Allston’s reputation for being unsafe, yet many, like CAS sophomore Philippa Moore, still choose to live there.
‘I am aware that Allston is not the safest neighborhood, so when I go out late at night or come back from a party, I make sure I’m walking with friends and not by myself,’ Moore said.
On campus, BU offers an Escort Security Service to students from 8 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. seven days a week. Logan Duarte, who works for the Escort Service, said there has not been a significant rise in calls for escorts even with recent crime.
Duarte, a School of Management freshman, said the Escort Security Service has been well staffed this semester with about 30 escorts in case of an increase in demand. Each time a BU student calls for an escort, he or she is accompanied by a two escorts, one girl and one boy.
College of Communication sophomore Maria Alafouzos said she has taken advantage of the Escort Service offered at BU because she does not like to walk alone at night.
‘I called them,’ Alafouzos said. ‘Ten minutes later a guy and girl showed up. We talked and we walked. I think a lot of people should use them as much as possible, I felt completely safe.’
Most students also agreed in recognizing Allston, West Campus and Kenmore Square as the most dangerous places on campus.
St. Hilaire said those same areas are places where most crime on and around campus is likely to happen. Though, a lot of cars are subject to break-ins on Bay State Road and Cummington Street, he said.
Regarding housing safety, St. Hilaire said no residence burglaries were reported during or after fall break.
Several of the crimes committed on campus this semester remain unsolved. Police have still not identified a suspect in the Nov. 8 stabbing of BU Dining Services employee Greg Phillips on Harvard Avenue, though police are holding Corey Patterson of Dorchester in potential connection to the murder.
No suspects has been apprehended in the Dec. 2 Kenmore Citizens Bank robbery or the Nov. 10 University Credit Union robbery either. Boston FBI leads investigations into bank robberies, with the cooperation of Boston Police and BUPD if necessary, Boston FBI spokesman Michael McNamara said.
‘These cases do take time,’ he said. ‘No violence was displayed in either of the bank robberies from the suspects, which does not pose a major threat for the campus.’
As well, police have not identified a suspect in the robbery of two BU students at knifepoint on Oct. 13 outside the West Campus.
Some students, such as SMG senior Elias Loizou, said BU’s campus does not have enough security cameras in light of the crime it experiences.
‘I’ve never actually seen a security camera [on campus] that I can remember,’ Loizou said.
BUPD is not allowed to divulge the exact number of cameras on campus, but regular security assessments are made, St. Hilaire assured.
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