In general, safety and security are not major concerns for most students, though the issue’s visibility has been steadily increasing in recent years. Off-campus muggings are becoming more common, as are burglaries of University-owned townhouses. As the Department of Public Safety is fond of reminding students, however, most of these incidents are wholly avoidable (Georgetown students have a particular fondness for walking home on deserted streets late at night and for, incredibly, leaving their front doors unlocked 24 hours a day). For the fortunate majority, therefore, security is only a peripheral concern at Georgetown. The most noticeable manifestation of the crime on campus is the increasing exasperation in emails from the campus police, who are particularly beguiled by the student body’s surprise at the fact that common criminals have figured out how to negotiate unlocked door knobs.
The Department of Public Safety is, on occasion, responsive and effective, but for the most part, it seems that DOPS is more interested in making off with the keg dregs from a busted party than in patrolling the streets. The important thing to remember, then, is that Georgetown, quiet and well-painted as it is, is located in one of the largest cities in the country. Cities, as a general rule, come equipped with a certain number of unsavory persons, and so the scattered assaults and robberies that occur on and off campus should not dissuade anybody from coming to the Hilltop. A few simple precautions (such as not being drunk and alone in dark alleys at 3 a.m.) can make the Georgetown/D.C. environment as safe as that of any city campus in America.
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Health & Safety at Georgetown University
spoiset
Pre-Medicine Studies '15
4.6
A
Pretty Safe
Georgetown is fairly close to the city and there is a lot of commotion and people passing through so it isn't unexpected that small thefts and the like occur. But, overall I feel perfectly safe on and around campus. It's sometimes a little too safe though, as the law enforcement can be strict with parties at times.
Apr 03, 2012
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Health & Safety at Georgetown University
B+
We Really Dont Have Much
sometimes it's scary to walk alone, but Georgetown is a very safe place. robberies are about the only crime that happens
Feb 21, 2012
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Health & Safety at Georgetown University
A
Relative
The dps officers or school police have a known presence and are now actual police officers. The safety stations are spread throughout campus and there is a low incidence of crime on campus.
Feb 14, 2012
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User rating for Georgetown University - Health & Safety is
4.6 out of 5
based on 26 user reviews.
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- Ian Lundy
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- Major
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- Grad Year
- 2015
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