Editorial | Attending to the issue

It's still early in the year, but a few recent crime statistics actually have us optimistic for the rest of the year.

Compared to the same period in 2008, theft from buildings - the typical unattended wallet-and-laptop swipings - were down significantly in 2009.

While we'd like to think is that students are simply being more honest when they spy an expensive wallet sitting owner-less in a fifth-floor carrel, it's more probable that students have been paying attention to the Division of Public Safety's ongoing advertising campaign to raise awareness to the issue of unattended theft.

For the better part of last year, DPS strategically placed fliers alerting students to the danger posed by leaving belongings unattended around campus. Unattended theft at first does not appear to be a threat; in fact, it tends to sneak up on students literally when they least expect it. But it creates an environment that isn't welcoming.

While most students originally were skeptical of both the prevalence of unattended theft and the value of the campaign, these numbers show that cluing students into the importance of the issue has paid off. And whether conscious or not, students are being more aware of whether or not their belongings are safe in their dorms and around campus.

When talking about crime statistics, there is almost always more that can be done - nobody likes any crime, of any type. The latest crime statistics show that there is still room for improvement and for increased vigilance from students. But the decrease is a sign that DPS's awareness campaign has played a part in helping students.

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