Safety and security should be the priority of individual students as well as campus administrators at Augustana. Recent concerns were sparked by the car thefts earlier this year from campus lots as well as the recent murder of a Purdue University student by his roommate. However, even with these news items, students are not at any higher risk of danger than in the past.

According to Niche.com, property crime such as theft occurs more often in the Quad Cities than other crimes. Augustana is a residential campus and many students park their cars on and around, so it is reasonable for students to be concerned for their property.

Senior student Blake Traylor says that while attending Augustana, he has heard about many crimes relating to stealing cars or belongings located in cars. Being a car owner on campus, Traylor admits that car theft, especially after what happened earlier this year, is a legitimate concern for him. 

“I just have to lock my car immediately, there’s no way I’m gonna risk it,” Traylor said.

The time of day especially influences students’ perceptions of safety. They feel more susceptible and vulnerable to suspicious activities or potential crimes at night.

“As long as the sun’s still out, but if it’s night and dark out…I don’t want to make the same kind of trips I’d make in the day because that’s when stuff tends to be sketchy,” Traylor said.

Student concerns such as Traylor’s may be valid when taking these factors into consideration, but there is little tangible evidence suggesting that Augustana or the student population is at an elevated risk of crime or danger currently amidst these new headlines. In fact, students can view the statistics of different crimes on campus through Public Safety’s Annual Fire and Security Report. 

For example, only two “motor vehicle thefts” have been reported since 2019, and none were recorded in 2020 or 2021, signaling that the increase in crimes such as car thefts may be merely a fluke.

In the Timely Warning emails that Public Safety sends to the campus community, there are general safety tips to follow to “reduce the risk of harm” to students. These tips include locking doors and windows of vehicles and residences, removing valuable items from your vehicle when possible, don’t walk alone, stay in lighted areas, be aware of your surroundings and use ACES when possible. 

“[The] Augustana campus community should feel safe while they’re here,” Tom Phillis, Chief of Public Safety, said. 

“If we could get students to lock their doors and lock their car doors, the incidence of theft would go away,” Phillis said. Interestingly enough, he cites the crime statistics to report that crime on campus is generally about the same or even lower than in previous years. 

While Chief Phillis acknowledges that the two car thefts on campus earlier this year are unusual, he claims that this is a national trend, especially for certain models that are more susceptible due to their features, such as Kias and Hyundais. 

“Video surveillance of parking lots shows people checking every single car door and then if the door is locked, they just move on to the next car to see what they can do,” Phillis said. 

Phillis wants Augustana students to understand that locking your car is the simplest way to avoid it being stolen. 

So, for students who are genuinely concerned about their safety and security on campus I suggest reading the safety tips contained at the end of each Timely Warning email sent. 

Along with this, listen to Chief Phillis’ advice and simply lock your car doors and residence doors, as being inconvenienced by a lockout is less of a concern than being the victim of a theft. 

Overall, Augustana students should know they do not have to be overly concerned about the environment that they are in.

Augustana has measures in place that keeps the students and community safe.