While MSU should take pride that it is one of the safest schools in the Big Ten, it should recognize that crime will always happen and the university should strive to keep safety a top priority.
An annual report released Wednesday showed that illegal weapon violations, car thefts and robberies declined last year on MSU's campus, but burglaries, forced sex crimes and aggravated assaults increased. There was also no report of hate crimes, murder or manslaughter.
Since 2001, campus crimes have declined 12 percent and since community policing was put into effect in 1987, overall crime has dropped 38 percent, while felonies plunged by 68 percent.
A Case Hall student was held at knifepoint in January by two men pretending to be soliciting for a charity.
The assault spawned a review of university safety practices and caused a critical eye to be cast upon residence hall safety.
MSU responded well to the incident by redesigning night receptionist programs and initiating neighborhood watch programs.
But it is important to remember that no matter what the reports say and how many precautions are taken, this still is not a perfect world.
In 2001, more weapons possession arrests were made on MSU's campus than at any other university in the country.
One campus safety feature that could be improved is lighting on campus pathways and around the residence halls.
With winter just around the bend, it's getting darker earlier and a well-lit walk home is important for student safety.
MSU has done a good job of keeping campus crimes documented and making the results publicly known, unlike other universities that don't follow the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act.
This policy was the consequence of the murder of Jeanne Clery at Lehigh University in 1986.
Clery's parents, Constance and Howard K. Clery Jr., founded the Pennsylvania-based Security on Campus, Inc., a nonprofit organization that lobbies for transparency in campus crime statistics.
"If you sleep there, they have an enormous responsibility to protect you," Clery said. "We know that Michigan State spends a good amount of money and has a proficient police force."
MSU officials should continue keeping campus crimes documented and not look to hide anything.
The public should also police itself and its belongings and always take all necessary safety precautions.
Petty theft is much too common on campus. Unfortunately, most of these thefts could be prevented by common sense such as locking doors and not leaving personal belongings out in public places, even for just a few minutes while making a quick trip to the restroom.
It's a big world out there and everyone, including the university as a whole, should continue to make safety a top priority.
