Students Discover a Safe Campus at Lehigh University

Our piece on campus safety at Temple University got us thinking about the general shortcomings of attending a city-based school. That institution, specifically, has to confront crime that spills over from Philadelphia’s outlying seedy areas. It could be likened to a campus like Ohio State has, where boundaries between city and school really are one and the same. Pennsylvania’s Lehigh University is of particular interest to us, because its 2,350-acre grounds feature various buildings and recreational fields in a post-industrial, pseudo-suburban setting. We were curious to see if the locale would be more advantageous in keeping students secure. So what did we uncover? Just that! Read on to discover why prospective Hawks don’t have too much to worry about beyond looming exams and finalizing weekend plans.

Many students say that they feel comfortable enough walking alone when it’s dark out, though the university, just like any deserving safety program should, does encourage its underclassmen to make walking in groups a point. This is a far cry from other schools we’ve reviewed, where the thought of braving the midnight shadows is dismissed as quickly as it came. Something they do have in common are blue light systems, which are strategically placed stations where help can be summoned with just the push of a button. Lehigh supplements this with two extra services. The first is a simple escort.

All you need to do is give the dispatcher your name, location, and destination (an active student ID is required when they show up). The second is something called TRACS. This marked van follows a fixed route around the campus, picking up passengers as it goes. There’s really no excuse to ever be walking alone with both of these options.

If you’re interested in Lehigh University, check out our article on Campus Food Quality and Student Health at Lehigh University.

When assessing the types of crimes happening on campus, the most prevalent offense is burglary. Sadly, this is a norm we uncover time and time again with colleges of all sizes. Lesser in frequency but definitely not in significance is sexual assault. This, too, has become more common and documented in the media as of late with things like underage drinking or the party scene being key topics of debate. If anything like this should go wrong, Lehigh calls upon two police forces.

The first is the university’s own. They have a reputation for bringing order to the more disruptive parties, but they’re typically forgiving of students when it comes to legal consequences. Bethlehem police at large will not give this special treatment to students. Unlike their campus counterpart, they’re not so lenient when it comes to parties. They don’t tolerate things like underage drinking at all, and will seize any opportunity to catch students in the act. One beneficial service they do provide is requested surveillance of off-campus housing during holidays, breaks, etc. These periods show elevated levels of burglary and vandalism.

We’re of the opinion that the police forces are able to keep crime levels at Lehigh relatively low, because the campus is small and more contained than one that features buildings spread across a large city. Students say that all you really need to be safe here is a little common sense (respect for your local police officers goes a long way, too). Things like never propping open dorm doors, telling friends where you’re going, and walking in well-lit places are just a few things you can do.

Reporting all crimes or suspicious activity to the Lehigh police department will benefit your colleagues as well. The school sends out text and email alerts for everything from robberies to assault. All in all, Lehigh is a safe and fun place to earn that coveted degree.

Ryan James is a ’13 alumnus of Ohio University’s College of Arts & Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in writing and media. He currently works as a copywriter for a Fortune 500 e-commerce corporation based in Columbus, OH.