Students have a new resource to help keep them diligent about on-campus crime through a crime mapping site at their fingertips.
UCrime.com, an interactive Web site that tracks crime at more than 170 campuses across the United States, became available at Duke in August. The Web site provides specifics like the date, time, location and type of crime using information in releases from the Duke University Police Department.
"Our goal at UCrime is to disseminate crime information so students can make safer decisions in their daily lives," said Greg Kastner, the site's co-founder.
But Maj. Gloria Graham, DUPD operations commander, warned students against relying too heavily on the information the Web site provides. She said the site does not always paint an accurate picture of the amount of crime taking place on campus.
"The information on the UCrime Duke page contains inaccuracies," Graham wrote in an e-mail. "It shows two robberies occurring on [June 13, 2008] within 15 minutes of each other. If you look more closely at them, the second one is actually an arrest of the robbery suspects in the first. The two 'robbery' icons were actually all one incident."
She added that the site is not updated regularly, noting that the site itself states that it does not guarantee accuracy or completeness of information.
But Kastner said any inaccuracies on the site are from DUPD's reports rather than an error of their own.
"We get information directly from the police departments," he said. "What we put on the Web site is exactly what we get-no editing, no scrubbing, no altering, no deleting."
Students who register with the Web site can report crime as well, though some said they would not find it useful to do so. Freshman Caroline Buck said she might be more inclined to check the site, but she noted that reliance on the site would not be necessary for accessing such information.
"I mean, Duke sends out e-mails about crime that happens here," she said. "I used a Web site once to find out if there was a rapist back on my block at home. So, if I was curious about something, I would use it."
Some students said they feel an overall sense of security at Duke. Others, however, said they felt Duke could do more to protect them.
"As much as we hear about crime, I feel the security has not done enough here," said sophomore Alexandra Tirado.
The University has stepped up efforts intended to help reduce the incidence of crime, including new ways to alert students that DUPD implemented over the summer.
"[An] outdoor warning system was selected, purchased, installed, tested and activated," Graham said. "Another step taken was the acquisition of a text messaging system. This system will be utilized to send out safety related notices, including crime alerts, to the community."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.