It is safe to say — no pun intended — that safety is a pressing issue on our campus. According to “Violent Robberies Have Potential Link, Suspects,” published in the Badger Herald on Sept. 26, 2008, there has been a 5 percent increase in robberies over the past year, with more than a dozen occurring on campus.

The city of Madison responded to the rise in robberies by employing additional Madison Police Department officers on Friday and Saturday nights. The city also created a taxi stand on State Street, intended to provide a designated area for cabs to supply a safe ride home to bar patrons.

However, the concentration of safety measures surrounding State Street may not be where students need it the most. Granted, the focal point of Madison‘s social scene appears to center around State Street, but this means the street is constantly teeming with students and Madison community members alike. Alongside the consistent presence of individuals, who provide a sense of security, are the streetlights that can easily expose criminal activity on the road.

Perhaps the focus of safety efforts should be shifted to areas that do not constitute as “on-campus” but still have high concentrations of students. For example, the College Park/Springbrook neighborhood is predominantly, if not exclusively, habitated by students. This region has also experienced heightened levels of crime since the beginning of the fall semester.

According to NBC 15’s Crime Map, between Sept. 5 and Oct. 19, there have been seven reported robberies and one assault in the Park Street/Spring Street area alone. All signs appear to point toward the need for a campus safety initiative focused on these areas of campus, and this need did not go unnoticed by the Associated Students of Madison’s Student Council.

Student Council passed a resolution last Wednesday creating the Campus Safety Initiatives Coordinator. Along with the administrative duties of the grassroots committee chairs, the CSI Coordinator is charged with re-establishing the Neighborhood Watch Program.

The ASM Neighborhood Watch Program, officially implemented in fall 2007, established a collaborative patrol effort by students and the Madison Police Department. Volunteers were responsible for patrolling the College Court/Spring Street and Camp Randall areas as well as south of Regent Street and West Washington Avenue, the very areas that are currently experiencing increased crime levels.

Volunteers traversed the targeted areas on Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. The police department viewed the program as an excellent way to engage the entire Madison community, not just the student population, in the prevention of crime.

A pertinent question is whether or not such a program could be expected to actually curb crime. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, “Neighborhood Watch is one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the country.” The scope of the Neighborhood Watch Program may be limited, but it is necessary if we are going to attempt to improve the level of safety on campus.

However, the CSI Coordinator’s work will not end with the establishment of the Neighborhood Watch Program. The position is also charged with researching and providing feedback for the current SAFE programs on campus.

Safe Arrival For Everyone services include the SAFEride Buses, SAFEride Cab, as well as the SAFEwalk initiatives. Each program arguably has its merits and its drawbacks. The CSI Coordinator is charged with evaluating these programs and providing feedback to the appropriate parties.

Although the programs may sound ideal on paper, they will require considerable effort. For example, the Neighborhood Watch Program will require the participation of student volunteers on campus. Although often scrutinized for apathetic sentiments, the student body has consistently voiced concerns as to campus safety. This safety initiative provides an ideal channel through which students can ensure their neighborhoods and their peers are kept safe.

I have high hopes that the establishment of a Campus Safety Initiative Coordinator will yield positive results regarding the current crime situation in the city of Madison. It will now be up to the greater university community to contribute volunteers as well as feedback.

Hannah Karns ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in political science and international studies.