In light of the Sept. 11 attacks, the entire nation including the Ohio State community has been put on alert. People are now more concerned with safety than they have ever been before, so much so that we as a nation are willing to endure longer waits at airports, football games and other events in order to ensure security. However, students have to deal with safety issues closer to home.

Last week, the university’s surrounding area was hit with two armed robberies. Two students were injured by gunshot wounds. And what is the university and Columbus police doing about protecting the students and residents that live in the campus area? Nothing.

In fact, police said they are not adding extra officers to patrol OSU neighborhoods, but are using other techniques to protect residents. They would not explain what those “techniques” are.

What do police and university officials suggest to make students feel more safe? Students are being advised to remember the locations of university telephones on and around campus, to use the OSU escort service and to be aware of their surroundings. So basically we should rely on the blue lights on campus and unarmed escorts to come to our rescue if an armed robber tries to mug us.

That doesn’t make any sense. Crime in the area on and surrounding the campus makes up 9 percent of all the crime in the city of Columbus this year up until June, according to the Columbus Police Web site. That’s a considerable amount of crime, especially taking into account the size of the university planning district with a population of 54,000 as compared to the 711,470 population size of the city of Columbus, according to statistics from Census 2000.

The university, campus police and Columbus police need to do more to keep this area safe. They have done so much to deter rioting, underage drinking and campus parties that it seems like their focus is against students, not those who prey on them.

Because of recent disturbances related to outdoor parties, strict law enforcement will continue in campus neighborhoods on Friday and Saturday nights, police said in a statement. A special Neighborhood Patrol has been set up where teams of university and Columbus police officers patrol campus neighborhoods to inform students and other residents of laws concerning public safety and parties. It seems so odd that police are willing to increase enforcement against partying students but cannot increase enforcement after two students are wounded by gunshots.

City and university officials need to take a long, hard look at the safety of students at all times. If increasing enforcement is possible on the weekends, then police can expand the Neighborhood Patrol throughout the week. Instead of laying all of the responsibility on the students, the university and police need to do a better job to keep the OSU community safe.