How easy it is to forget one’s surroundings. Walking is a great place to get lost in a fog, to be more aware of what is inside one’s head than the cracks in the concrete as they pass underneath. People don’t usually walk around frightened, one hand in their purse, trigger-finger on the mace, but maybe they should.

Bad things happen to good people on a daily basis. This constant barrage of crime and negative energy takes its toll on the average person. Some might say Americans have become desensitized.

Have you watched prime time lately? There seems to be a Law and Order for every night of the week. I pose a question, does seeing this kind of stuff on make-believe television shows, then again on the 10 o’clock news, make it more commonplace?

The reason I am asking is this: if you know someone isn’t going to get caught for a petty crime, why should you report it? We often think that police have something better to do, I mean, aren’t there murders out there to solve?

The truth is, that’s their job. Robbery, rape, identity theft, parking in a handicapped spot, whatever it is, it doesn’t just affect you. It affects all the people who come after you, who walk in the same area, who might just run across this person, might meet them the same way you did.

A person shouldn’t have to kid themselves into thinking they will get some kind of resolution. Suppose you get attacked here on campus on your way to the bus stop. You fall down, they grab your purse and then they run away and you can’t catch them. You didn’t see their face, it was dark, you don’t know what they were wearing, you know that reporting it will take a long time and that you probably won’t get your stuff back. What to do, what to do. Report it.

You already lost your purse, what difference does it make if you have to wait around for an officer? If this area is dangerous, how is anyone going to know if the victim doesn’t say anything? Paper trails lead to conclusions, which can lead to action.

Action can prevent future crimes, make a place safer, catch a criminal. For example, how many times has it been reported that a neighbor complained of a nasty smell coming from next door only to find out later that the guy has 12 bodies in his backyard?

But even the small things make a difference. It is important to the safety of all that no mischief go unreported. The campus tracks the details of crimes and complies them in an annual report. This helps them decide what, if anything needs to be done.

Police get to know their neighborhoods as well. If crimes are being reported in a certain neighborhood, they might just cruise through more often.

So give public safety and the police department the chance to do their jobs. The sooner you report a crime, the more chance they have of solving it, and even if you’re sure they won’t be able to, make sure there’s a record of it happening, for everyone.