A Discussion on Routine Activities Theory

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In a study published in 2011, the Crime Prevention Division of the Department of Attorney General and Justice defined routine activities theory as “a crime that occurs when the an accessible target, the absence of capable guardians that could intervene, and the presence of a motivated offender come together in any given space and time” (Routine activities theory, 2011). Although this report was published in New South Wales, Australia, routine activities theory is relevant worldwide and can even be seen around Iowa State University’s campus.
Iowa State University provides a variety of services to help keep its students safe, such as a safety escort service that will pick up and drop students off at any point on campus. That said, Iowa State is primarily a pedestrian-friendly campus. It is possible to get from practically any two points on campus in fifteen minutes or less. Most of the paths are walked by students throughout the day and there are streetlamps positioned around the campus at night to prevent students from walking in the dark. However, there is a shortcut that runs between Friley Residence Hall and the Memorial Union along Lake LaVerne that remains completely unlit at night, making it a dangerous spot for students and residents of Ames alike.
When I still lived in Friley, my friends and I would refer to this path as “The Rape Path.” Walking along the foot track during the day was fine, but at night the experience is rather unsettling. With the overgrown trees and lack of lampposts, the trail would be the perfect space for crime to occur. The path is represented in red on the map below.

There is no better alternative, however. Although the yellow trail runs along the side of a road, it takes longer to make it back to...

... middle of paper ...

...dents would feel much safer.

An alternative idea would be to install closed-circuit cameras along the path. The Iowa State University Police Department could monitor the cameras, providing a capable guardian. There are two obvious downsides to this idea. First, a police officer would need to tie up valuable time to monitor the cameras in order for the system to be effective. Secondly, the cost to install the cameras would be more than what it would cost to light the path.
Although it would be impossible to make a campus completely crime-free, Iowa State could prevent future crimes in this area by taking a proactive approach in keeping its students safe.

Works Cited
Routine activity theory crime prevention. (2011). Retrieved February 16, 2014, from http://www.crimeprevention.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/cpd/
m660001l2/routineactivityfactsheet_nov2011.pdf

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