Poll: How Safe Do Students Feel At Brooklyn College?

A recent study declared our neighborhood academic institution one of the safest colleges in New York State, but how safe is Brooklyn College really?

The questionable report, released on June 1 by public safety website Backgroundchecks.org, ranked Brooklyn College as #6 in a 2016 list of the safest colleges in the State. The report claims it used data from recent FBI crime reports, natural language analysis, and social media sentiment analysis. Based on this listed criteria, the website has rated the campus crime rate as zero, based on the number of crimes per 1,000 students.

“It’s a true testament to great policing, strong leadership, and community involvement,” said Jessica Pierce, a Backgroundchecks.org public safety analyst. “In a world full of bad news, it’s great to have something positive for residents, and it’s something to be proud of.”

Despite these findings, crime stats around the college and actual Brooklyn College students we spoke to paint a very different story.

In May 2015, one student wrote an op-ed in The Excelsior about a shooting that occurred on Flatbush Avenue 0.1 miles away from the Residence Hall at Brooklyn College. On the night of the shooting, another student had trouble securing a shuttle from Newkirk Plaza back to the Residence Hall.

Another student, who wishes to remain anonymous, told us that she doesn’t feel safe on campus due to an incident in July by Whitehead Hall. The student was robbed in front a security booth; the assailant grabbed her arm and stole her phone. Both the student and campus security were told by police that the incident wasn’t captured on surveillance footage, according to the anonymous student.

While we don’t have access to the website’s alleged FBI crime report data, this interactive map is a helpful source for visualizing crime stats. This image of the NYC Crime Map shows the locations and frequency of the seven major NYS Penal Law felonies that occurred around the campus between May 2015 and April 2016. (Felonies include: Murder and Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Rape, Robbery, Felonious Assaults, Burglary, Grand Larceny, and Grand Larceny Motor Vehicle).

Given these differing stories, we’d like to open up the floor to Brooklyn College students and faculty. What is your perception of public safety on campus? Take our quick poll to weigh-in:

[poll id=”105″]