Negative public perception — perpetuated by television shows, such as The Wire — has earned Baltimore a reputation as a dangerous, crime-ridden city. What is less clear, however, is the extent to which the dangers and risks of the city extend into the “Hopkins bubble.”
According to Lieutenant Mark Long, director of Investigations for Campus Safety and Security, both the city at large and the Charles Village area saw an uptick in robberies this past summer, perhaps capped by the Aug. 28 armed robbery of four women near the Marylander apartment building. This incident, along with others, raises the question of whether burglars are getting bolder or whether there is a deficiency in Hopkins’ campus security.
If crime continues to increase, the Editorial Board believes that the Univerity is not adopting enough preventative measures to enhance student safety. Though precautionary security advice is valuable and should, without a doubt, be taken seriously, personal protection alone will not prevent every crime — that is where campus security should show its value. The level of security around campus needs to increase even further.
The Editorial Board commends campus security on the measures they have already taken to increase HopCops and patrol forces; we implore them to continue this increased effort, as various incidents are still occurring. Students who follow security advice, such as the tips presented in the daily Campus Safety and Security Incident Reports, should be able to feel confident that they are doing their part to protect themselves and that Hopkins security will be there, close by, as the next layer of protection. Having a school that so prides itself on security means that students should be able to live with the comfort of a reasonable level of safety, knowing that if they do what is expected to protect themselves, campus security will be there for the situations when, unfortunately, that is not enough.
