Crime on campus: day or night

       The recent time change has really messed up my schedule. I'm not suffering from seasonal jet lag or anything like that. I've got back- to-back classes until 7 p.m. and by then, it's un- comfortably dark outside. Maybe I shouldn't park my car in a lot all the way on J.W. Dobbs Avenue, but as a struggling college student with a whole laundry list of things that must be paid for, I've got to scrimp and save on any dollars I can. Before it wasn't a problem – I had time to stop and talk after class and then saunter to my car comfortably. Now, as soon as class lets out, I bolt to my car. I am afraid of the dark.

         Actually, I'm just a bit paranoid that I will become the next unfortunate soul whose story is described in emails dispersed to all Georgia State accounts and plastered on doors around campus. I'm scared of being mugged on a campus that boasts of the most excellent college police department in the en- tire state. Why is this?

        There have been a recent string of thefts and robberies lately, including those that can be found in the Crime Blotter and updated on the police website but aren't as widely publicized in the form of Panther Alerts.

        Aside from the stolen laptops and phones, some of the most recent Panther Alerts re- ported have become increasingly violent. One guy was pushed to the ground before his wallet was emptied out and another innocent in- the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time bystander was choked and kicked before having his items stolen. That is a bit ridiculous.

        Even more ridiculous is when you consider that there are more than 100 people, including certified officers and security personnel, working for the Georgia State University Police Department. If the department has the manpower to exert a more formidable presence on campus, why does heavy crime continue to increase?

         I understand that we are going to school in downtown Atlanta and that there can't always be a cop on every corner patrolling every minute of the day. That's just not a feasible option. If the campus patrol can establish their presence more heavily on campus, then the occurrence of thieves and robberies may be abated.

        The other day I walked past the Student Center on my way to class. Two young kids ran past me and I thought nothing of it until they were across the street and I heard a girl yell, "Stop them! They stole my laptop!" I became, regrettably, just another face in the masses that stood idly by as a crime was committed right in front of me. Hundreds of students, not one flinched. Instead of pelting the thieves with various slanderous indiscretions, she turned on the crowd and chastised them for their inaction.

       Maybe it's too much to ask for an environment in which everyone is looking out for others, especially on a campus like Georgia State that seems prone to thefts and attacks. Or maybe it is a bit naive to think that no other student would want to be, or could even afford, to have their stuff snatched up and have to fork over the cash to replace the stolen item.

Until we can create a climate that deters thieves from committing crimes on our campus, I anticipate another slew of Panther Alerts to hit my inbox. Especially since it gets dark so damn early now.