The Journal

Issue date: 10/13/05 Section: Opinion/Editorial

Andrea Noble

There isn't any surefire way to completely eliminate crime. However, there are proven ways to fight crime; unfortunately for students who appealed to the Delegate's Agenda for more campus lighting, their idea isn't one of them.

At the Delegate's Agenda Sept. 16, students expressed concern about their safety and asked for more lighting in an effort to make the campus safer. While lighting has been proven to decrease vandalism, break-ins and other damage to property, few studies have proven the effectiveness of lighting in deterring violent crimes.

I was able to find few studies on the subject, but Home Office Crime Prevention Unit of London published a study with one of the largest sample sizes. The final analysis of the results achieved by increased lighting was inconclusive. In some neighborhoods, crime decreased after lighting was installed, but in others it actually increased. Residents of the neighborhoods in question however, perceived their neighborhoods to be safer after lighting installation in all cases. While the additional lighting may or may not have had an effect at all, it was a security blanket for the neighborhood. So the question we are left with in Webster Groves is: Will additional lighting help to deter crime, or will it just give students a false sense of security?

Webster isn't exactly an area noted for its high crime rate. From 2002 to 2004 there were 20 incidents of either sexual assault (six), aggravated assault (14), robbery (0) or motor vehicle theft (0) reported to public safety. These offenses are something to be concerned about, but the number of violent crimes committed at Webster is lower than at other area universities, most likely due to our university's location. St. Louis University had 65 incidents of the same type over the same period of time and Washington University had 125.

Students who feel unsafe walking to their cars at night can call public safety for an escort. The service already receives moderate use. Public safety manager Jamalh Bussey said the department receives between 10 and 20 escort requests a week. If students do feel threatened on campus there are 16 emergency phones throughout campus that provide direct lines to public safety. In addition, three to four public safety officers patrol campus every night. Apparently this just isn't enough to quell some people's fears.

Webster is already well lit and has a low crime rate so it's troubling that students are still scared. Lighting the campus up like Busch Stadium on game night isn't a cure-all to campus crime. Psychologically, lighting has the effect of making people feel safer, but in reality there are more proven methods of increasing security.

Students who still feel unsafe on campus should push for other security precautions on campus instead of additional lighting. For instance, they could ask for more public safety officials to patrol the Webster Groves High School parking lot at night or for public safety to add a permanent post in the parking garage or other areas of particular concern. Some student groups have already taken the matter into their own hands and are sponsoring a self-defense session on Oct. 13. A rape, aggression and defense course is also being offered Fall I and Fall II.

Webster's campus has sufficient lighting and as I walk to the parking garage at night (sometimes as late at 3 a.m.) I often see public safety out on patrol. I've never been threatened and I've never felt scared on Webster's campus.

If students have irrational fears about their safety on campus, there isn't a whole lot anyone can do to calm them. Additional lighting may give students the idea they are safer on campus, if little else. If students are truly concerned with increasing safety, and not just their perception of it, they should investigate other methods of crime prevention.



Andrea Noble, a senior global journalism major, is the managing editor for The Journal.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools