Of all the exciting perks of college life, the most intriguing is the total freedom to do whatever you want, whenever you want, with no parents to tell you otherwise. However, with that sense of freedom, students still need to keep the environment around them in mind to avoid finding themselves in a scary and possibly dangerous situation.

A UA report about a female student who was sexually assaulted between midnight and 1 a.m. at the Tyndall Avenue Parking Garage sheds an uncomfortable light on how no campus is without the susceptibility of thieves and attackers of any kind. And as hard as it is to resist the feeling you are always safe when walking around at all hours of the night, there are simple rules that students need to remember when making the decision to walk through campus at night.

But if crimes are on the rise on campus, the school should implement new ways of combating them.

According to CrimeReports.com, the UA campus and the surrounding area between Euclid and Campbell avenues and 6th Street and Grant Road had six incidents of sexual assault since August 2011. Compared to other types of assaults in the campus area, sexual assaults are drastically lower in comparison. Theft incidents, for example, come out to more 20 cases in the same time period.

However, there is something when hearing of a sexual assault that makes high incident crimes like theft less of a concern. It is a crime that violates your mind, body and soul. It can deteriorate your psyche and ability to be comfortable with others.

The number of sexual assault-related incidents wasn’t always so high either. In 2007, UA crime statistics reported only one incident of sexual assault. That means in five years time, the incidents occurred five more times as before. So why is there an increase in numbers? After the sexual assault last week, security in the garage was heightened, but the campus would be much safer if there was always a heightened security in all garages all around campus.

So on campus, students who spend many late hours in a place that is expected to feel safe should be able to rely on more stringent security patrolling, especially in the late-night hours. There should be more University of Arizona police officers and the school should consider more cameras or other security measures to ensure student safety.

—Serena Valdez is a journalism junior. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu or on Twitter via @WildcatOpinions.