Old Dominion University - Safety & Security

Quick Stats

College Prowler Take

At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, there were a rash of muggings and violent crimes on Killam Street, and from time to time you still hear about someone getting robbed. Only one of these was a break-in, however, and though it is scary, that sort of thing is fairly uncommon. Muggings sometimes happen, but they generally happen late at night to students who are walking alone or are unaware of their surroundings. Though these things are always going to be uncontrollable to a degree, simple safety tips like walking in groups and being aware of their surroundings (i.e. not walking around loud and drunk) can really help in terms of insuring your safety.

Since then, however, ODU and Norfolk Police have been really proactive in protecting the campus, and the acting president holds periodic meetings to discuss and devise safety strategies with the campus community. Students who leave their GPS sitting out on their dashboard might come back to a broken window and no GPS, but at the same time, Nofolk is a city, and in any city setting it might be a good idea to just go ahead and throw the GPS in your glove compartment. Things like bikes and laptops are the most common things that come up missing, according to the ODU police department, but there are programs in place to at least track and identify your stuff if the crime can’t always be prevented. Again, though, if there are computer labs on campus, maybe it’s not such a good idea to walk around at night carrying a $1400 piece of equipment. And always remember to chain up your bicycle. Common sense can really go a long way toward protecting yourself and your property.

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Students Speak Out

ODUAD says: Old Dominion University 2015 Biological and Biomedical Sciences

I haven't felt unsafe personally,... I haven't felt unsafe personally, however, our campus is in the heart of an urban city, and there have been multiple robberies and other crimes. I would avoid going anywhere alone in the evenings. 12345 Safety & Security: April 07, 2009 Report

ODULN says: Old Dominion University 2012 Psychology

There is a lot of crime, a lot... There is a lot of crime, a lot unreported and a lot swept under the rug. The police are around all the time, but they can't be everywhere at once. 12345 Safety & Security: March 20, 2009 Report

Anonymous says:

Aside from the failure to put up... Aside from the failure to put up ‘Caution Floor Is Wet’ signs when there has been a spill, the safety on campus is pretty up-to-par. I don’t live on campus, so I don’t know how well security operates at night, but during the day, not too much goes on. On occasion, I will see a security vehicle or guard around campus, but there doesn’t seem to be much presence during daytime class hours. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

There are police cars driving... There are police cars driving around, especially during the evening hours. The campus police phone number is also easy to find. If you are coming back from a party late at night, you can always call them and ask for a ride if you don’t feel safe. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Anonymous says:

I don’t think Norfolk is all that... I don’t think Norfolk is all that dangerous. It does look really scary at night, though. 12345 Safety & Security Report

Did You Know?

Studies have shown that the cleaner the city, the less susceptible it is to crime. Norfolk has followed up accordingly, instating several city clean-up projects. Many of them are on Old Dominion’s main campus.

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