As a tour guide at Fordham University, as well as a regular Fordham student, I am often confronted with questions from outsiders curious to hear about my feeling of safety on campus. I always assure prospective students, friends, and family that I feel very safe at Fordham and have developed strong "street smarts" and a general common sense pertaining to the Bronx while residing on campus.
That being said, Fordham is located in an area that is relatively susceptible to crime. Just recently, several men were captured and arrested by the NYPD for trespassing onto Fordham's campus; the men were carrying knives and narcotics. This incident sparked a bit of controversy, as many prospective students were being led on a tour just a few feet from where the NYPD apprehended the men. Many students on campus began to assume that this event would be the deciding factor for these potential students as to whether or not they would attend Fordham. Many assumed the latter would prevail because this incident was a representation of the possible crime that could occur on campus.
After analyzing the situation with my peers, we came to the realization that this incident was more so a representation of how much the NYPD and Fordham's Public Safety value their students' safety. Public Safety cautioned students of their search for the men at 12:05 p.m. on Friday, March 1. Within ten minutes of that notification, NYPD had found and arrested the men and Public Safety notified all students that the safety concern had been revoked. The timely success of the NYPD and the proper precautions taken by Public Safety are adequate examples of Fordham's security policies being put into action.
Fordham University is often stereotyped as an unsafe community because of the poor reputation surrounding the Bronx community. There are countless other colleges and universities located in areas deemed unsafe, however, and I'm sure their campus security also does their best to provide a secure environment for their students. As a tour guide, I constantly emphasize the connections Fordham students have with restaurants, cafés, local markets, and the families that run these businesses. There is little fear when students venture off campus because they have learned the do's and don't's of the Bronx community, just as you would if you attended college in Newark, Philadelphia, Boston, or any other city for that matter.
Though Fordham students often criticize our security as being extremely strict, I value their concern for each student's safety. I applaud Fordham's Public Safety for their kindness, helpfulness, and urgency; these efforts help Fordham become the enjoyable and secure university it is.
