Campus safety at the University of Oregon has been an issue lately. It seems every week students receive emails from campus public safety notifying them about a campus break-in or sexual assault where all of the victims have been female. As a woman who frequently walks on campus at all hours of the day and lives alone, I find these types of notifications a little disturbing, as I am sure most female students do.
It’s unfortunate that we cannot stop all violence and attacks against women on campus. However there are precautions that we can take in order to protect ourselves from becoming victims of a crime here on campus and elsewhere in Eugene.
First step to protecting yourself:
The first and most important thing to always remember is that even though you think that something like this could never happen to you, IT CAN, and it is always better to take the extra steps to protect yourself rather than become the victim of a crime. No woman ever expects to be the victim of a crime, and although the chances are rare, the threat does still exist and must be acknowledged.
Be careful in the dark:
Since many campus crime alerts are reported to occur during evening hours, try to always be mindful of possible threats during nightfall. If you are going to be out during the evening on campus or around town hanging out, remember that walking alone is one of the worst and most dangerous things you can do. Even when you are walking alone in areas that are familiar and routine to your day, there is always a small chance that something could happen, so never avoid being too cautious. Always try to have a friend with you when you are out at night. If you cannot avoid being out alone after dark, take routes to your destination that are well lit or have heavy traffic flow.
Use your senses:
When out alone or even in a group, make sure you are always looking around to see what is going on. When you are visually aware of your surroundings and the movements of others, you are in a better position to act defensively if a person becomes hostile or aggressive toward you. Sound is a very important sense to remember, especially when you are out alone. It is common for some students to listen to music while walking throughout campus or while exercising outdoors. If you’re forced or
choose to walk or exercise solo leave the iPod in your backpack or at home. It is very important to be able to hear what is going on and if there are people around you. Being able to hear a threat coming gives you a much better chance of avoiding trouble.
Stay away from strangers:
We all learned as kids to be cautious of strangers, this rule should still apply as you get older. Even though a huge part of college is making friends and meeting new people, when you are out on the social scene you should have fun, but make sure you’re senses are still alert.
At bars or parties, if you are engaging in social drinking make sure to always keep your drink in your site to avoid ingesting something that could be used by a perpetrator to impair your judgement.
When traveling, don’t accept rides from strangers or get into a vehicle occupied by the opposite sex. Travel in vehicles with groups of males and females that you already know, and with drivers that are sober and you are comfortable with. It is just as easy to be the victim of a fatal auto accident as it is a victim of assault when you’re traveling with unfamiliar people.
Lock your doors and check them TWICE:
All women who live away from home, regardless of if it’s with other roommates or alone have some fear of waking up to see a strange man in their house. Make sure to ALWAYS lock your front door, and secure and lock all other entrances into your home; back doors, windows, garage, even animal doors. You may not think these could be possible entrances for an intruder, but you would be surprised. There isn’t even harm in locking your bedroom door if it has a lock installed. If not, with your landlords permission, a lock for your door can be purchased at any hardware store and installed in a
few easy simple steps. This is just one more safety precaution you can take in order to keep intruders out.
Remember that it does not have to be you:
We all can agree that the thought of being a victim of a campus crime can be scary. But remember, it does not have to be you. Be cautious and know how to defend yourself or how to get out of an unsafe situation. Pepper spray is one of the oldest female tricks in book and it is still great to have on your key chain, you never know when you will need it. A quick spray at an attacker should give you plenty of time to get to safety. Women’s kickboxing and self-defense classes are also great ways to learn simple tricks to defending yourself against attackers, as well as giving you a great work out.
If you ever do run into any danger and are caught as the victim of a campus crime, make sure to report the incident to University of Oregon Campus Public Safety Department and also the Eugene Police Department. Local attorney, Raymond Bradley advises any victims of a campus crime to report the incidents to the Eugene PD in addition to the school as this greatly increases the chances of catching the perpetrator who committed the crime. Bradley states that often campus crimes go unsolved and without justice for the victim because the incidents are only reported to University of
Oregon Public Safety who have less authority and man power to solve crimes and make arrests unlike the Eugene PD.
Even though the University of Oregon has been the site of crimes recently, that does not mean that there aren’t ways to keep yourself safe. Be cautions and make smart and safe choices when around campus. There number of resources that the University offers to assist students in staying safe, such as the student Safe Ride Service. As a University of Oregon student, you are entitled to use the campus Safe Ride Service absolutely free of charge! Safe Rife offers services with varying operating hours each term. Safe Ride provide students safe rides home from evening classes, bars, sporting events and more.
Be safe, be smart and don’t allow yourself to be the next victim of a reported campus crime.
University of Oregon Public Safety:
UODPS West Station
1319 East 15th Ave
Eugene, Oregon 97403
UODPS East Station
2141 East 15th Ave
Eugene, OR 97403
Emergency Dispatch: 541-346-6666
Non-Emergency Dispatch: 541-346-2919
Report campus crimes to Campus Public Safety via phone or in person at one of the campus offices.
Eugene Police Department:
777 Pearl St., Room 107
Eugene, OR 97401
Emergencies: 9-1-1
Non-Emergencies: 541.682.5111
Report crimes to the Eugene Police Department online or at the Downtown Eugene Police Station.
For reporting crimes to Eugene PD
Safe Ride Service: 541-RIDE ext.2
Safe Ride website with service info
Photos:
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