Davidson College - Health & Safety

Particularly with the Honor Code,...

Particularly with the Honor Code, crime is not an issue. That said, never walk back from the court alone--there are always plenty of nice boys happy enough to escort you back up the hill. You can also call the Vamanos Van to pick you up from on or off campus. They'll even take you to get food. I know that the Campus Police would happily escort you anywhere if you felt uncomfortable, though I've never had any issues. As far as locking doors, the Honor Code is strong and in place, but it's extremely important to be realistic. Violations are an unfortunate part of campus, and though they may be rare, stay on the safe side and lock your door. Especially at night, intoxicated visitors can accidentally wander into your room (it has happened), so lock your door just in case.

Davidson is probably the safest...

Davidson is probably the safest college town to live in. The town is laid back and quiet, and the scariest thing that ever happened here was there was "an unidentified man on the cross country trails" once. It is so safe that people leave their doors unlocked and feel comfortable walking around campus alone (even at night). Campus security is present at all frat parties, and they are omnipresent down the hill, but they will only get you in trouble if you are a threat to yourself or others. Generally, they are very nice and look out for our safety.

The Honor Code in Full Effect.

There really aren't that many safety or security problems at Davidson, due in large part to the Honor Code. Here, it isn't just a talking point for tours and prospective student literature; it's a way of life. Kids rarely lock the doors to their dormitories because they feel safe, and it's not uncommon to see people post classified ads in our daily email saying, "Someone lost money by [building]. Email me with the amount if it was you."

I always feel safe walking back...

I always feel safe walking back from the library to my dorm late at night when no one's around. Not only are many security features in place, but the campus is so compact that you're only a less-than-five-minute walk from anywhere you need to be. If you're in trouble, you can just walk into the nearest building.

Security maintains a good presence...

Security maintains a good presence on campus. However, campus police seem to primarily focus on protecting students from each other and a student’s tendency to do stupid things while drunk. Since Davidson is an open campus and not protected by gates or wired fences, protection from the occasional disruptive townsperson also falls into the hands of the campus police.