Nearly every time I tell someone from my home in South Dakota where I attend college, the response is a gasp or a statement about how dangerous Chicago is. It doesn’t seem too peculiar that South Dakota residents would be quick to judge a big city.
After all, my hometown’s population is just over 2,000 people. I do understand why I get such a response, but I have always counteracted their reactions because I usually feel safe in Chicago. It is my new home.
As of late, though, there have been a large number of safety alerts being taped to campus building doors and Lincoln Park has been making the news for crime. It is important not to be afraid while on campus, but these alerts should be a constant reminder to remain aware of one’s surroundings in efforts to stay safe.
What do the statistics say? According to the Chicago Tribune, Lincoln Park received 15 violent crime reports, 239 property crime reports and 31 quality-of-life crime reports from Sept. 9 through Oct. 9. All three categories’ statistics were down from last year. It may seem as though Lincoln Park is getting more dangerous, but the numbers prove otherwise.
This is not reason to walk along the streets with a blindfold on, though. There were still a total of 285 crimes in the area over a one-month span, and you could be the next target.
A sophomore at DePaul was a victim of one of these crimes Sept. 30 – she wishes to remain anonymous due to legal and safety reasons regarding her case. She and her friend were walking along Fullerton near the quad when a girl snatched her friend’s wallet from her purse. The victim saw the occurrence and thus shouted after the girl, chasing her. As she chased the robber, a guy tripped her; it seemed as though he had a relation with the robber.
In the end, there was a felony battery charge and the victim spent four hours in the emergency room. She most likely sprained her ankle. “Being affected physically by this incident wasn’t about physical pain, but about mental pain. It makes you feel powerless,” the victim said regarding the experience.
Being a victim of crime does exactly that; it makes one feel as though they have no control. However, being cautious on campus can help reduce chances of being targeted. The victim said that she had sensed something was not right about the girl before the incident had happened.
“My instincts were absolutely right … It is one of the lessons I learned from that day. You absolutely have to trust your instincts.”
It is essential to be aware of one’s surroundings and to then act on any intuitions. However, even when taking precautions, sometimes being a victim can be the result of being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
According to CBS, “a man collapsed inside a Lincoln Park Walgreens after he was shot multiple times” Oct. 16. When hearing this news, I was personally startled because the Walgreens on Fullerton is where I pick up my prescriptions. I imagine being there while this happened and it frightens me. The shooting did not occur in the store, but I know that seeing the situation would have been a wake-up call that anything can happen at any time.
“Never in a million years did I think something like this would happen to me,” the DePaul robbery victim said. “I always thought I was careful. I took extra precautions constantly to make sure that I was safe.”
It is easy to get into this mindset. I can personally admit to having the cliché thought that “it will never happen to me.” The truth, though, is that these situations can happen to anybody, and unfortunately, quite a few DePaul students have learned this lesson throughout the fall quarter so far.
It is necessary that all students learn from these situations. Lincoln Park may seem safe, and it is, but danger can be present anywhere at any time. Although I am not automatically bound to be a target, it is still important to remind myself that walking along the streets of Chicago is not analogous to walking along the streets in South Dakota.
If I am cautious and follow my instincts, I can lower my chances of being a victim of crime. Being paranoid will not help; rather it could affect your chances of enjoying your college experience and could even make you more of a target because strangers can sense when one is nervous.
Instead, enjoy moments walking down the streets without fear. Just be aware of your surroundings. Be careful. Be knowledgeable. Know that anyone can be a target, even you.