In recent years, crime rates have increased tremendously for students living off-campus in the Cortland area. It is no new concept for these trends to be happening, as students have reported numerous break-ins and theft in their homes for years. When choosing to live off-campus, students are aware of the risk they are taking, but as crime rates increase, they have begun to feel more scared and unsafe.
After talking to many students who have experienced break-ins, all of them have said that this is an ongoing issue and it will only become worse. While interviewing senior Jack O., he describes a time last spring when a man broke into his home. “There was a man who stashed drugs in my apartment last semester and ended up getting arrested. He later came back after a few days, looking for the belongings he said he left in my room”.
There are also instances of theft that are becoming more common. Senior Gabby G. reports that her mail and packages were stolen from her apartment complex last year. Gabby called the Cortland Police and provided video footage of the packages being stolen, but nothing was found to come out of it.
Since the spring 2022 semester, crime in campus areas has increased significantly, prompting the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety to send out warnings to students at Syracuse University with advice on how to be safe amid this increase. In a conference on September 8, Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said that thefts had increased by 48% since this time last year, especially close to the SU and Le Moyne College campuses. With Syracuse being less than 30 minutes away, trends in crime have also seen to increase in Cortland.
Senior Maddie W. also shared a similar story that supports this statistic. Maddie said, “My roommates and I were having work done to our house this past spring and later realized that the maintenance man stole a TV, Wii, clothes, and our Keurig.” The most common forms of crime, when the crime occurs, who commits these crimes, and location have all changed as a result of the shift in crime patterns. The specific causes are yet unknown and there is no concrete evidence to support the theory that the pandemic had an impact on crime in Syracuse and Cortland areas.
For many students, transitioning from an on-campus residence hall to an off-campus house or apartment at the start of the new semester may mark the beginning of a new stage of young adulthood that comes with a sense of freedom and independence. Living off-campus, however, might entail giving up some of the extra sense of security that comes with the Department of Public Safety’s strong on-campus presence.
Students must remember how crucial it is to take as many precautions as they can to avoid theft and break-ins. Regularly checking to make sure all doors and windows are locked, not leaving car keys out in the open, making sure outside lighting works, and making sure your home looks occupied at all times, can all help limit the likelihood of off-campus crime.