Marie A. Scott left McWherter Library around 10 p.m. heading to her apartment just across the railroad tracks. Scott, who uses the computer lab at the library several times a week, had heard the safety tips for walking at night. She held her keys in one hand, carrying her cell phone in the other. Scott made sure to walk in well-lit areas, traveling through the Alumni Mall and past The University bookstore, only to hear the roar of a train. "It's too dark to stay down there by myself," said Scott, "so if there's a train on my way home, I have to walk down to Patterson to where the cars are."
The business management student said even when there isn't a train on the tracks, she constantly worries about when the next one will come. Before crossing the tracks, she always puts her keys and cell phone in her pockets.
"I'm always terrified I'm going to drop my keys and phone between the cracks of the railing and the asphalt," said Scott. "I'm scared I'll be digging through the tracks for my keys and phone and look up and there'll be a train coming."
Bruce Harber, director of Campus Police Services, said he has received complaints about trains stopping across the tracks and complaints about students crossing between the railroad cars or crawling under them.
"The tracks have been a nightmare forever," said Harber.
The University of Memphis ranks as one of the safest campuses in Tennessee, according to state law enforcement statistics. The University had a 14 percent decrease in reported crimes in 2007 and had the lowest overall incident rate when compared to other large colleges and universities in Tennessee. But there is more to student safety than crime statistics.
Diana Harrington said she feels The University hasn't done much to make her feel safe. Several students, like Harrington, said they wonder why The University hasn't done something to increase safety near the railroad tracks. The trains run throughout the day along Southern, which often interferes with students trying to get to class on time.
"People always run dangerously close to try to beat the train," Harrington said.
For Harrington, the danger near campus doesn't stop at the train tracks. Harrington, who saw the aftermath of a student who was hit by a car while trying to cross Central Avenue, said she is angry that The University has not done anything to make Central safer for students to cross. Several students have been killed while crossing Central over the years.
"I don't feel there is any safety at the crosswalks," said Harrington. "The idea that pedestrians get the right of way is nonexistent in this city."
The University of Memphis was awarded one million dollars in enhancement grants from the state of Tennessee for the purpose of making the northern side of the campus safer for students crossing. The city of Memphis agreed to add an additional $1.3 million to the project, with The University receiving another one million dollars in state capital maintenance funds. Previously, there was a plan to build pedestrian bridges across Central and lower the street, but the plans have been changed to reduce Central to four lanes, adding a median from Patterson Street to Zach Curlin Street. Fences will be installed to direct pedestrian traffic to crosswalks and a new entrance will be added to the Central parking lot at Zach Curlin. However, according to Tony Poteet, assistant vice president of Campus Planning and Design, construction won't begin until summer 2009.
But one project that already has been completed is the addition of a new four-way red light at Central and Innovation Drive. Harber said the red light, which was added this fall, has helped to increase the safety for pedestrians needing to get to the Holiday Inn and the west side of the Central parking lot.
However, some students say they're not happy having another red light within such a short distance of the one at the crosswalk.
"If anything, it (red light at Central and Innovation Drive) causes more people to speed to try to make it through all of the lights on Central," Harrington said.
From Patterson Street to Zach Curlin Street, there are four traffic lights on Central Avenue. These lights are not synchronized.
"I find it ridiculous that our campus refuses to worry about the students' safety," said Harrington
Keva Pounders said she doesn't feel safe on campus after the murder of football player, Taylor Bradford. Bradford was murdered on Sept. 30, 2007, near his student apartment complex.
Pounders said she has heard several stories about women being followed on campus.
"They tell us to walk in groups, but if the campus is so safe then why should we have to walk in groups?" said Pounders.
However, some students, like Liza Neergaard and Brenna Vick, said they had an overall sense of safety while on campus. Vick said she is often in the recording studio on campus until one or two in the morning, but she never worries about her safety.
"I would never be out in the city until 1 or 2 o'clock," said Vick. "I definitely feel safer on campus than in the city."
Neergaard said that although she has a friend who was recently mugged on campus, Neergaard is never really worried about her safety while at school.
"It has made me more aware of my surroundings, but I make sure I walk to my car at night with a group of people," Neergaard said.
Campus police, who patrol The University of Memphis campus, work in collaboration with the Memphis city police to patrol the homes and businesses surrounding the campus. Both police forces have weekly meetings to share crime statistics and discuss problems and solutions for the neighborhoods bordering campus.
The jurisdiction of The U of M campus police includes the entire campus and streets within the boundaries of Poplar, Highland, Goodlett and Park. Harber said he has seen an increase in theft from motor vehicles in the area south of the railroad tracks, and police have occasionally answered calls for cars being broken into and disturbances from area clubs on Highland.
Col. Mark Collins, precinct commander for the Tillman Station Precinct, said the majority of crimes that happen in the neighborhoods surrounding the campus are residential burglaries and thefts from motor vehicles. From Oct. 26 - Nov. 6, there were seven burglaries in this area. According to the MPD Web site, there were 14 thefts from motor vehicles during the same two weeks. Collins said these are usually done in the daytime when most students are in class.
According to Larry A. Godwin, director of Police Services for the City of Memphis, many of these crimes, especially thefts from motor vehicles, can be avoided. Godwin said students should stop leaving items in their cars, including backpacks, sunglasses and coats. He said there have been incidents of thieves breaking out car windows for fifty cents.
Aimee Ortiz's home, near Highland and Douglass, was broken into the week before fall break. Ortiz, a foreign language major, was in class taking a midterm when the thief pushed in an air conditioning unit and entered the house. Ortiz's 15-inch flat- screen television and her roommate's Playstation were stolen.
"They must have gotten spooked because they didn't make it to our living room or my other roommate's room," said Ortiz.
Godwin said police have difficulty fighting burglaries and thefts from motor vehicles. He said criminals know these acts are often reduced to those carrying smaller sentences, therefore there is no deterrent, and the crime is worth the risk. Because they are committed in the absence of the owner, burglaries and theft from motor vehicles are considered property crimes.
"This director says it's a personal crime. It's personal when you come into my home," said Godwin. "We have a God-given right to feel safe in our community."
