Recent statistics show that the city of Binghamton has seen a 9.7 percent drop in violent crimes over the past few months. As students, however, we don’t feel the numbers correlate to a safer setting for our Downtown escapades.

A recent assault at the Holiday Inn Arena left 20-year-old Binghamton resident Tyler Loop in a coma. BU student George Hamelos was left in a coma following an alleged State Street assault last year. In 2007, a female student was assaulted on her walk to her car after an evening University Downtown Center class.

These Downtown altercations are not the normal drunk fist fights between students; they’re incidents that leave people seriously injured, and make students feel unsafe Downtown. And they’re becoming less and less rare.

And now, Investigator Matthew C. Rossie of Binghamton’s New York State University Police says that if the upcoming budget cut does in fact result in a decrease in law enforcement officers, the city of Binghamton would be the last place he’d want his child to live (see Page 1). As of Wednesday, 12 police offers have been laid off because of a lack of funds. Given the recent escalation of violent crime Downtown, even if the overall numbers say otherwise, this isn’t something we can afford.

There are officers patrolling campus at all hours of the day and night, looking out for the welfare of students. And we appreciate it. But lately it isn’t those late-night walks back to Mountainview that scare us. Why isn’t the University Police Department worried about student safety where it’s actually a problem? We understand that there is a set jurisdiction they must abide, but maybe an exception is in order. A large percentage of BU students spend their weekend nights in the Downtown area, and even more live Downtown, far away from safe ride and blue lights. Where’s the protection for students walking home on Court and Main streets at 2 a.m.?

The University and city officials want students to spend more time getting to know Binghamton and supporting local businesses through events such as Communiversity Fest and First Friday, and under normal circumstances we would be more than happy to branch beyond campus. But first, some resources need to be put into making the area less dangerous for us — no matter the time of day or night.

Police cameras Downtown are a good first step, but as Off Campus College Director David Husch correctly noted, the main perpetrators don’t know these cameras exist. Something more needs to be done to ensure our safety Downtown, especially if further budget cuts continue to reduce the number of police on patrol. If nothing else, the University Police Department should collaborate with the city to increase their presence in Downtown areas.

Students don’t feel safe, and it’s going to take more than a few pamphlets and cameras to change that.