FREE ESSAY ON CAMPUS SAFETY

CAMPUS SAFETY

Do you know how to remain safe on campus?
There has been a rise in campus crime over the years due the increased dorm population,
according to Maj. Susan Norred, assistant director of safety and security for the
University Police Department. 
Norred, a police officer for approximately 17 years, has primary concern for students
that walk or jog alone at night. She has served in her current position for two years. 
"Whenever a person is out alone at night, they are providing an opportunity for an
assault or a robbery," she said. A person increases their vulnerability by wearing a
headset while they are walking or jogging, she said. 
To prevent themselves from being a target for criminals, both female and male students
should use the buddy system. They also should let someone know where they are going and
when they can be expected to return.
Another serious safety issue that has been brought to Norred's attention deals with
campus parking. Students will often be spotted returning to their cars after class and
they will be offered a ride to their car so that the other person can have their parking
space. This practice is a very, very dangerous practice for students to participate in
and a person should never, under any circumstance, accept a ride from a stranger, she
said. "You never know who you are getting in the car with, " Norred said. 
Meeting new people and trusting them very quickly is another personal safety issue that
Norred addressed. "Learn to build up trust before you actually entrust your life with
them," she said. She advises meeting new people in a group setting, preferably with a
good friend. "Have your own transportation so that you do not have to rely on that person
to take you back home," she said.
Theft is also a personal safety issue at UF. Bicycles are the most commonly stolen item
and they account for 40 percent of all thefts, Norred said. UPD can only do so much to
prevent crimes from happening. "Safety is a shared responsibility between the individual
and the police department," she said. 
The UPD presents programs on campus safety to classes, fraternities and sororities and
residence halls. They also perform other community service acts such as bike safety
education, building security surveys and lighting surveys around campus. Student
Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol, also known as SNAP, is another program run by UPD. SNAP
serves as a free escort service available to students, faculty and staff, Norred said.
The drivers of the SNAP vans are UF students. The UPD checks out the criminal and driving
records of the students before they are entrusted as representatives of the police
department. 
SNAP vans run on 30-minute routes throughout the entire campus, seven days a week. For
mor information on SNAP call (352)-392-SNAP. "It's an excellent service," Norred said.