As a student at Marquette, I am concerned with my safety. However, I don't mean safety when crossing the street. The Sept 21 issue of the Tribune sported a front-page article called "'Pay' walking" by Amy Bauer, informing students about the Milwaukee Police Department increasing enforcement on jaywalking. Directly above that article was another article written by Andrew Johnson called "Campus robberies mar last 100 hours," discussing the ongoing robberies on campus. I found this kind of ironic. There it is on the front page, a big safety problem on campus, and right below it what do we all see: An article about MPD spending time enforcing the jaywalking law. I understand jaywalking is against the law, but do "Milwaukee's finest" really have their priorities straight?

Every Tuesday and Thursday I read the DPS reports to see what is going on around campus, and there are always at least two reports of robbery, burglary or car vandalism. Never have I seen "student struck by vehicle" in those reports. So why isn't MPD more concerned about protecting students from this ongoing robbery problem, rather than writing tickets for jaywalking?

In Bauer's article, Third District Police Capt. Richard Oliva stated, "It's always been our goal to promote pedestrian safety."

What about campus safety? I don't know about the rest of the students on campus, but I'm not too concerned about my safety when I cross streets. Most of us here are over the age of 18, so I think by now we've all mastered looking both ways. However, I am a little concerned about my safety when walking around campus at night. We have Public Safety officers patrolling during night hours, but it would be a little more comforting to know the Milwaukee Police Department was concerned about this issue as well.

Police officers sure are doing a real service to the community by stopping and citing college students for jaywalking. Why don't they go north of State Street or west on Michigan Street where all these car thefts are happening — or even patrol between Wells Street and State Street to observe the community for any potential robberies? Easily summed up, why don't they solve some real crime? I suppose it is less paper work for an officer to site a jaywalking ticket to a student for $52.40 than to take down witness reports, or drive a suspect into custody. Not to mention, the jaywalking citation is more financially beneficial.

I guess as long as MPD has its focus on ticketing students for committing the malicious crime of jaywalking, I'll always be able to open the Tribune and read about the newest student to have their cell phone, money and credit cards stolen by an armed or potentially armed person. But I can rest assured and put my mind at ease, for I'll remind myself the student was able to cross the street safely on their way to report the incident.

Romanowich is a junior in the College of Health Sciences.

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