2008 Woodie Awards
Editorial: Burglaries, homicide should make students more careful
Issue date: 1/23/07 Section: Viewpoints
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With the rare homicide that occurred in Martin during Christmas break, the string of apartments that were burgled and now an out-of-town group breaking into cars, we wonder if students need to be more careful or if tighter security measures should be implemented on campus and in town.
It seems to us that Martin is not as safe as it used to be. We know that all towns have an occasional spike in crime, but Martin has long been known for being relatively safe.
How can we now assure students that they and their possessions will stay safe?
And how will UTM market its safe campus, when obviously the campus and the community are not as safe as we once thought? What will UTM tell parents when they specifically ask about the recent homicide and burglaries?
Students can no longer afford to live in a bubble where they think Martin is a guaranteed safe place. They also don't need to harbor a false sense of security, such as "It will never happen to me." I'm sure the people who recently had their possessions stolen were snapped out of their security bubbles real fast.
Students should follow such common-sense rules as locking their vehicle and residence doors, putting valuables in the trunk or in a lock box and constantly watching their surroundings, especially at night.
However, any of us can do only so much before other people need to step in, like the police. If the authorities know that certain areas are showing a surge in crime, shouldn't they make it a point to patrol those areas more frequently?
We think so, just as we think that if we all do our part, we have a better chance of staying safe.
It seems to us that Martin is not as safe as it used to be. We know that all towns have an occasional spike in crime, but Martin has long been known for being relatively safe.
How can we now assure students that they and their possessions will stay safe?
And how will UTM market its safe campus, when obviously the campus and the community are not as safe as we once thought? What will UTM tell parents when they specifically ask about the recent homicide and burglaries?
Students can no longer afford to live in a bubble where they think Martin is a guaranteed safe place. They also don't need to harbor a false sense of security, such as "It will never happen to me." I'm sure the people who recently had their possessions stolen were snapped out of their security bubbles real fast.
Students should follow such common-sense rules as locking their vehicle and residence doors, putting valuables in the trunk or in a lock box and constantly watching their surroundings, especially at night.
However, any of us can do only so much before other people need to step in, like the police. If the authorities know that certain areas are showing a surge in crime, shouldn't they make it a point to patrol those areas more frequently?
We think so, just as we think that if we all do our part, we have a better chance of staying safe.
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