THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 14, 1994 TAG: 9410140072
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SHARON LaROWE, COLLEGE CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
JAMES MADISON University sits in the second-safest college town in the country, according to a new book on campus crime.
The book, ``Crime at College: The Student Guide to Personal Safety'' by Curtis Ostrander and Joseph Schwartz, ranks college safety by the number of annual crimes per 100 residents of the town or city where the college is located. Harrisonburg's JMU had 1.34. Only the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls had a lower crime rating - 1.14.
In Virginia, George Mason University and the University of Virginia were the next safest, with ratings of 3.36 and 3.61, respectively. Most of the state's universities, including Hampton, Norfolk State and Old Dominion, had ratings of 6.69, ranking roughly in the middle of the 467 universities in the book.
Colleges are usually judged by the on-campus crime rate. James Madison ranks in the middle of the 11 Virginia schools listed in the book in that category. But critics have complained that those numbers are incomplete and don't usually include crimes against students that are committed off campus.
``Campus crime statistics ignore the risks students face off campus, where many live, work and socialize,'' the book said.
Alan MacNutt, JMU's director of public safety, said the ranking showed that James Madison was a relatively safe campus. Nevertheless, he questioned the book's methodology.
``Even if we were the beneficiary in that rank order,'' MacNutt said, ``I don't think that it's fair.'' Schools in crime-ridden cities might get a low rating, he said, even if they weren't near the most dangerous neighborhoods.
JMU freshman Steve Doyle of Norfolk said he feels comfortable on campus: ``I feel safe enough to keep my door unlocked to my room, but my roommate is pretty paranoid, so we keep it locked.'' Doyle added, ``In a city like Norfolk, there seems to be a lot more fear of the unknown. . . . But since we're in a small community (at JMU), we have a greater mutual idea of who we are and what we're doing.''
Another student, junior Shanna Edgell from Richlands, a small town in southwest Virginia, said she chose to attend JMU partly because it seemed safe. But senior Sandi Woodin from Herndon said, ``I don't feel safe here because I was attacked freshman year and I had someone watch me showering during my sophomore year.''
Woodin said, however, she's comfortable walking alone on campus, but ``only until 10 or 11 o'clock at night. After that, I'd like an escort.''
MacNutt said, ``I think the combination of professional police officers and the paraprofessional campus cadets . . . all helps.'' He said students can get escorts from more than 10 student ``cadets'' on duty nightly.
MacNutt said the numbers show that Harrisonburg is safer than a big city. But he warned that its rural location doesn't exempt it from criminal activity. ``There's a danger,'' he said, ``that students will read statistics
The book ranked St. Louis University in Missouri in last place, with 14.80 crimes per 100 residents. ILLUSTRATION: Charts
Tips for Safety
How Virginia Schools Rank
For complete chart information see microfilm
by CNB