United States Military Academy at West PointHealth & Safety Summary

Written by Ryan Peckyno

Ryan Peckyno

Hometown

Bradford, Pa.

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Students definitely feel safe at West Point. There are numerous checks and balances in place to ensure that the campus is safe. On top of all of the external security measures combined, every cadet considers him or herself a security officer. They are all bound by the Honor Code to uphold a strict set of rules and regulations for the safety of everyone at West Point. Because there is no large city extremely close to West Point, the majority of cadets are not concerned about rape, assault, robbery, and other criminal activities associated with large cities. The campus is also full of actual military police and fully-trained officers. Every student looks out for every student, and freshmen are assigned to security patrol on the weekends.

In spite of all this, there is one major security concern that sets West Point apart from most other places of higher education. As a military institution, the Academy is at high risk for a terrorist attack. Even though this is not very probable, and the campus is very tightly guarded, it is an unfortunate possibility. Cadets must prepare quickly for the world they are entering and accept all of the real life risks ahead of them. The trade-off is that at West Point, students are relatively free from most other crime and do not have to guard their possessions from their fellow students.