According to the organization Citizens Against Crime, a crime against a person, such as murder, rape, robbery or assault, occurs every seventeen seconds in the United States, and a property crime, such as burglary, larceny or vehicle theft, occurs every two seconds.

As these statistics show, crime is all around us, even in Lancaster, PA. If you take the proper precautions, you can decrease the chance that you will be victimized by a criminal. While we don't want you to live in constant fear of crime, it is important for you to be aware of crime and the steps you can take to decrease the chance of being victimized.

In order for you to effectively deter crime you must know what the current crime trends are. Read the Campus Safety report in this section of this web site. Lancaster General College, in cooperation with national legislation, also compiles crime statistics for certain offenses and reports them to the FBI for inclusion in a national report on crime on college campuses.

In addition, pay attention to the local news, as serious crime trends in the community will be highlighted there. You can also join a Neighborhood Watch. This organization will inform you of crime trends in your area.

Remember that crimes occur only when criminals have the opportunity to commit crime. It is up to you to take that opportunity away from the criminal. Defeat the criminal before the criminal activity actually begins. To help you do this, we have given you tips on preventive steps you can take before you are victimized, and also steps you can take to prevent the crime from getting worse.

Updated 10/16/07