By
The recent alleged rape on our university’s campus has caused concern that has been duly noted by the administration, the Department of Public Safety, The Louisville Cardinal, the PEACC program and other campus organizations.
Students are alarmed, which is understandable. A 37-year-old man, who has no affiliation with U of L, is being charged with the rape. U of L students aren’t used to hearing of such a crime on campus. According to DPS records, the last “stranger rape” that took place at U of L was in 1968.
While DPS vigilantly monitors our campus 24 hours a day, it is important for students, faculty and staff to realize that the DPS cannot be totally responsible for our safety. With violent incidents such as this being rare and isolated instances, it’s easy to become complacent and forget that this campus is a wide-open complex situated in an inner-city area. The DPS can only do so much, so a little street savvy is in order.
One way that students can protect themselves is to make conscious decisions about their safety. It is up to us to know the phone number of the DPS and to not be afraid to report a crime if we witness one. It is also up to us to know that DPS regularly posts crime alerts on its Web site, and to keep abreast of incidents that happen on our campus. And of course, traveling in pairs after dark when possible is an extremely smart decision.
There is also an escort service that DPS Director Wayne Hall said is drastically underused, and may even be discontinued on this account. Remember: it will always be smarter to call 852-6111 for an escort than to walk alone to the dark, questionable spot where your car is parked.
The fact is U of L is a public university. Every day thousands of people enter this campus, many of them not affiliated with the university. Some of those people, unfortunately, may be up to no good. Students, faculty and staff should keep their safety in mind to do their part in making sure our university is a safe place to be.
