Lately Conway and UCA have had their share of crime, violent and otherwise. However, these crimes are not indicative of safety at UCA.
There have been several sexual assaults on campus in the past few months. These crimes are not done out in the open or at random places around campus, but inside dorms and campus apartments, where police are less able to monitor what goes on.
This means the most important people involved in keeping students safe from these kinds of crimes are themselves. Removing themselves from uncomfortable situations and being careful about who students are alone with can greatly improve their safety.
Other crimes, including an armed robbery on campus and a shooting at a nearby Walmart, are crimes that can easily induce fear in the surrounding community. However, UCA police officers are good at their jobs and even increased patrols after the armed robbery.
Since the UCA campus shooting in 2008, UCAPD has given its officers and even faculty and staff members training courses for what to do in case of an active shooter on campus. Extra emergency training means more people on campus are prepared for an active shooter than most places in the area.
When bad things happen on campus or in the surrounding area, UCA can feel like a dangerous place. By putting things in perspective, students should realize campus is actually pretty safe.
