Dr. J's Message for Oct. 25-31, 2009
A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending one of the cookouts organized by the Community Ambassadors, who are Ohio State students who serve as resources and contacts for other students living on their street in the University District. It was a great event, and I enjoyed chatting with a number of students.
As is often the case, one of the subjects that came up was crime. Two students told me about a robbery at their home while one of the roommates was in the home. Fortunately, the roommate was not hurt, but it was very frightening experience. How did the intruder get in? I asked. The answer was through an unlocked door.
I am NEVER going to blame the victim for a crime. The fault lies entirely with the perpetrator. No amount of carelessness makes you deserving of being assaulted or robbed. No amount of carefulness will absolutely guarantee that you'll never be a crime victim.
However, you really can improve the odds in your favor immensely if you take some fairly simple precautions and follow them faithfully:
- Lock your doors and windows. Do not leave them open for a late-arriving roommate or guest. Don't hide a key under the mat or flowerpot, over the door or anywhere else. The doors should be locked at all times, whether you are home or not. If you do not have enough keys for all the residents of your apartment, see your landlord for more copies.
- Don't leave valuables in plain sight. This includes in your house and in your car.
- Be alert to your surroundings. Trust your instincts and get away from situations that make you uneasy. Look out for each other.
- Don't invite strangers into your home. Large "open-house" parties attract all kinds of people, including thieves, vandals and people who don't care about the kind of messes they create or trouble they cause you.
Additional tips are here.
In short, remember that while we are a friendly and trusting community, the University District is a part of a large city. It's not a small town or a suburb where everyone knows the neighbors. I do, however, encourage you to get to know your neighbors and team with them to make the community safer for all. Become "street smart" and "city savvy." That might mean changing some habits, such as making sure you lock your doors.
Take care,
Dr. J
Javaune Adams-Gaston, Ph.D.
Vice President for Student Life
Contact:
Ruth Gerstner
614-292-8424
gerstner.2@osu.edu