It seems like the status quo already: The school year begins and the Public Safety Alert e-mails flood our inboxes, detailing sexual assaults, burglaries and attempted burglaries.[In a three-day span from Sunday to Tuesday](https://www.thehoya.com/news/assault-3700-block-o-st/), one sexual assault, one attempted break-in and one robbery occurred in Village A, one assault occurred on 34th Street, and one break-in (involving close contact on a couch between the suspect and the victim) occurred on 33rd Street. The students affected have been violated – sexually, emotionally or in other ways – both on campus and off. This level of crime, particularly in light of similar incidents occurring since [a student was sexually assaulted in LXR Hall in spring 2008](https://www.thehoya.com/news/student-reports-sexual-assault-at-gunpoint/) – whether it is referred to as burglary, sexual assault or attributed to [the more vernacular equivalent](https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2009/09/16/why-the-georgetown-cuddler-will-never-be-the-crapist/), [“the Georgetown Cuddler”](https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2009/09/16/a-georgetown-cuddler-timeline/) – is unacceptable.Living in a major metropolitan area with a notorious reputation for crime is a reality for Georgetown students. Our campus is a residential one, conducive to an evidently false sense of security. We may sometimes consider the boundaries of Burleith, Wisconsin Avenue and M Street part of that residential atmosphere.Recent PSAs outlining attacks everywhere from 34th Street to Village A, however, force us to adjust our collective mindset – students, faculty, administrators and neighbors alike.Unfortunately, the Metropolitan Police Department and the Department of Public Safety cannot be sure that this unsettling string of incidents is linked to a single suspect. This degree of uncertainty and the ongoing investigation surrounding it could leave students even more unsure of how to react to safety concerns.In light of these worries, it is the shared responsibility of both safety officials and students to step up their efforts to turn the recent tide of crime.For those unfamiliar, current policy cedes primary jurisdiction to DPS for any crime-related incidents that occur on campus property. DPS may call MPD if further support is deemed necessary. In addition, any student can call MPD instead of DPS for assistance. These organs must be used as resources and seen as partners in the Georgetown community, no matter what grumbles and grievances students may have about either one.In every PSA, students are reminded to lock doors securely and shut windows. There is nothing simpler than locking a door and closing a window, but as students often have trouble sifting through the flood of university e-mails, DPS must do more to anticipate and less to react. It has already started increasing safety checks and patrols in vulnerable areas and has updated the SafeRides system by adding one more van to its fleet and by introducing a new texting service for callers (a feature that allows callers to wait inside the building until the vehicle arrives and the driver texts the caller).There is a case to be made for more extensive measures: campus-wide lock checks for on-campus apartments, even more frequent patrols and installation of more on-campus security cameras and call boxes, particularly in those areas bordering off-campus access roads like Canal Road. Ad campaigns for H1N1 virus awareness have been implemented on campus this year. Why aren’t similar safety warnings as omnipresent, side-by-side with swine flu prevention posters?A year and a half ago, [THE HOYA’s editorial board expressed its outrage after the armed sexual assault in LXR](https://www.thehoya.com/opinion/were-mad-as-hell-and-were-not-going-to-take-it-anymore/). Since that incident, it seems Georgetown students are in more danger than ever. We do not want to look back after a tragedy and ask ourselves what else could have been done to prevent it. This year’s crime record isn’t leading us in the right direction.*To send a letter to the editor on a recent campus issue or Hoya story or a viewpoint on any topic, contact [opinionthehoya.com](opinionthehoya.com). Letters should not exceed 300 words, and viewpoints should be between 600 to 800 words.*”