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My wife goes to school in Washington University in St. Louis, and every other day she tells me about someone getting mugged in broad daylight, her friends cars get broken into, another friends apartment being cleaned out, and just today she told me of some girl who got raped and robbed leaving the university last night. Not only do these people get robbed but beaten within an inch of their life. I'm so sick of it, but i dont know what to do. Are their any suggestions? Do other schools have this much trouble with crime? Are all university police so damn worthless? What are your thoughts and suggestions?
While researching schools with my sons, I was amazed at how many seemed to be in sketchy areas. Thugs find students to be easy targets. Students need to look out for themselves, by not wandering off campus alone late at night, guarding possessions, and locking up their cars.
We frequently hear about students at GA Tech and GSU being held up in Atlanta. Most of the time, this stuff happens just off campus. They have stepped up campus patrols in response to bad publicity, but, again, the campus itself isn't usually the place it happens.
Students need to raise a stink, and hopefully get some press for the issue. Colleges hate bad publicity.
Wow! Boston U has a pretty good crime stat for being in the City. Not that they don't have incidents, they do. They really do ACT on them however. They have Escort service also. BU Police work hand in hand with City Police to jump on any trends. Some of the crimes are student caused, you know...drinking and causing issues late at night by the party type. Not the majority however. In fact, the majority of colleges probably face the same issue. Washington Univ is suppose to be a decent school educationally, that is pretty sad. Yes, you should get the media involved and the students should demand action. Don't they provide an escort service there? If so, especially as a female I would use them day and night if that's what it took. Have the service called ALL DAY, EVERY MINUTE...make a point...YOU WANT PROTECTION! Again, the media really needs to get involved and provoke them to take action.
While no one deserves to be raped or mugged, college students do make easy targets. They generally walk around with their headphones on, and even though they may be 'broke college students', chances are there is a laptop in their backpack, an iPod, iPhone, Droid, MyTouch, $100 calculator, one or two hundred dollars worth of textbooks (you do not need to present ID to sell used textbooks), or some other cool, expensive, electronics that their parents bought them on their person as well.
Yeah, I find it odd that some of the best schools are in some pretty lame neighborhoods. I have some friends who are from South Bend, IN. I tagged along with them one time when they went back to visit and we passed a large university. I asked what school it was, and could not believe that it was Notre Dame.
Boston University is in a fairly safe area of Boston and I would bet that most of the crime there is committed by students.
Washington U is a good school, and if crime is as bad as the OP claims, I am sure that the media is already aware of it.
U Maryland @ College Park and University of Delaware are pretty bad, too.
The interesting thing is, WashU is in a generally good area of town. I went to undergrad in an area of St Louis that is considered quite a bit more sketchy. There were the occassional muggings and car break ins. It comes with living in an urban area. I haven't really heard of students getting "beaten within an inch of their life," though.
I've lived in St Louis for almost 5 years now without any major problems, including a place 2 blocks from WashU which was easily the safest place I've lived. I never leave anything out in the open in my car, I don't walk alone in the dark, and my apartment is always locked/blinds closed so nobody can see in. I've always had rental insurance and good comprehensive auto insurance, just in case.
I also went to grad school in a pretty small town, and I felt crime was also an issue there. Again, muggings, break-ins, assaults from time to time. I actually felt less safe there just because things weren't as well lit. It doesn't have the same reputation for crime that St Louis seems to have, though.
ETA: Does WashU have a campus escort service? I always assumed they did, might be something to look into. My undergrad school did and I always used it when walking home late at night alone.
Maschuette, it's sad to about the reports of violent crimes in and around Wash U.
As you probably know, the university is a top "ivy league" school that attracts students from all over the world. And believe it or not, Wash-U is NOT located in a dangerous part of town. It's nestled between the well-off suburb of Clayton and student-oriented University City.
My guess is that some of the crime is spillover from nearby Forest Park. It's a fact that large urban parks often have problems with crime, and Forest Park is no different.
Universities also attract visitors from all over a region, for one reason or another. It follows that criminals will be among those visitors.
Truth is, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a large urban university without crime. In any such high-density place, there will inevitably be some serious problems.
Like a previous poster said, students need to look out for themselves. In fact, everyone ought to observe basic safety precautions, particularly in an urban environment, and especially in the 21'st century. Remember: None of us lives in Mayberry, and it's no longer the 1950's.
All of that said... Maschuette: I know you are concerned about your wife; but I don't see how this warrants slamming my city in general. You certainly have every right to be upset, and every right to be angry at the criminals who are responsible for the incidents at Wash-U. Heck, you even have the right to be ticked off at Wash-U security. But to say "St Louis is a $hithole" because of these incidents? That's insulting to the fine people of St Louis. Let me set the record straight: St Louis has great institutions, amazing neighborhoods, and wonderful people. Yes, as with any other city there are problem areas and problem people. But by and large, the St Louis area is a really good place to live, work, and raise a family.
In the future, try to pinpoint the source of the problem, and look for solutions, rather than making sweeping negative statements about an entire city.
I was robbed and almost killed couple blocks from Wash U, near the loop in 1998. I had a concussion from being hit repeatedly. Strangely, they took my cd player but did not take my wallet with 200 dollars in it that I had just gotten from the atm. I alerted police and they involved St Louis police who rounded up the 4 black dudes who were caught robbing some 80 year old lady in her home. They let them go on a technicality. I transferred to Purdue that fall and did not have anymore problems.
Much of St Louis is a Sh#thole and having a bunch of rich white yuppies in clayton, richmond heights and university village next to poor blacks on delmar in st louis is a bad combo.
I lived for 4 years on the wesy side of Chicago without any problems, but my st louis experience made me more aware of my surroundings and hardened me abit.
I was back in st louis a year ago over new years and the city has gotten even worse and emptier. I feel fortunate to be in Chicago with a vibrant core.
St. Louis in general is known for having skyrocketing crime rates. It isn't just on the University campuses, although that doesn't surprise me that it's high there as well.
The only advice I really have for your wife, if moving isn't an option, is to get one of those little handheld bottles of pepperspray (that go on like your car key rings, for instance) and teach her how to protect herself (self-defense classes, if necessary).
I'm sorry you guys are going through that.
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