By Kat Meyer

Assoc. Community News Editor

As Calvin students continue to experience crime off-campus and away from Campus Safety's familiar presence, personal crime prevention is often a hard lesson to learn.

Shortly before classes began this fall, Calvin senior Kurt Steiner had a stereo and compact discs stolen from his locked car, parked in his driveway near Eastern Ave. and Cherry St.

More recently, Junior Emily Beard and her three housemates filed reports of a peeping tom when neighbors reported men peering into the windows of their house near Kalamazoo St. and 28th Street on two seperate occasions last week.

``Crime can strike anywhere,'' said Karen Larson-Horlings, crime prevention coordinator for the GRPD, who works with neighborhood organizations to alert residents of crime.

``Prevention is the key,'' she said, and students should do as much as possible to take opportunities away from possible perpetrators.

``Most students haven't had to consider safety before, since most grew-up in `safe communities,''' said Larson-Horlings. Unfortunately, the idea of `safe communities' is fading along with our `safe country,' she added.

Gerald Steele, director of Campus Safety for Calvin College, agrees that students need to take more precautions to avoid becoming targets of crime.

``The people who commit these crimes are looking for a soft hit,'' he said. ``It doesn't take a whole lot to deter these types of crime.''

Steele added that students have two options if they don't like what is going on in their neighborhood--either look for another place to live or take some precautions. He suggests that students immediately notify the GRPD and their community crime prevention organizations if crimes or suspicious events occur.

Another resource is the GRPD Community Affairs Unit, which works directly with neighborhood safety organizations and provides free Home Security Surveys to let tenants know how their homes might be vulnerable.

The Community Affairs Unit also urges renters to inquire about the areas they plan to live in. By looking at crime maps, students have a better idea of what is going on in the neighborhoods where they choose to live.

``Don't stay away from a neighborhood just because there may have been a few reports about crime,'' said Steele. ``Just make sure that you take more precautions.''

Students have to be aware and on high alert no matter what their area has a reputation for, Steele added. ``Look at the crime patterns for the area you live in, and hook up with a neighborhood association.''

Unfortunately, students often do not think to contact their local neighborhood watch programs. Steiner, who filed a police report after his car was broken into, spoke only with the police, who informed him his stereo and compact discs would probably not be recovered but did not offer any suggestions about preventing future thefts.

The police ``have more important things to do than recover CDs,'' said Steiner, who says this is the first problem in the two years that he has lived near Eastern and Cherry.

Emily Beard and her roommates, who talked to police shortly after their neighbors reported possible peeping toms, were also dissatisfied with the attention given to them by police officers.

``They blew our complaint off at first, but when we reported the second man who ran off, they said they would drive by our house more often,'' said Beard.

``Since then we have had some hang-up calls, which is sort of freaky. When we first moved in, all our neighbors were positive, saying that this was a family neighborhood. Our landlord is putting in deadbolt locks now,'' she said.

Larson-Horlings of the GRPD says students need to play a part in their own safety by knowing how to live in their communities.

``College kids live out of their cars, leaving CDs, stereos, jackets and purses unattended,'' said Larson-Horlings, who has piles of reports on her desk about car break-ins alone.

``Don't leave anything in your car, even pocket change,'' she said.

She also suggests that students take out renters' insurance to protect valuables.

Steiner's insurance would have covered the expense, but his deductible is $500 and would have ended up costing him more than replacing it himself.

``It's just been an inconvenience, to have to pay to replace the window and stereo and drive around with plastic for a window for over a week,'' he said.

Protecting yourself is a different matter, however. When it comes to personal safety issues, all students should take simple precautions, like leaving and coming home in groups, leaving lights on, and listening to their instincts if they feel that something just isn't right, said Larson-Horlings.

This includes being wary of panhandlers going door-to-door for donations, a common problem in some neighborhoods.

``People are raised to be polite and think the best of strangers,'' she said, but residents should watch out.

``They are manipulating residents,'' said Larson-Horlings. ``Don't feel like you can't say no because you are a Christian. Panhandlers play on your kindness. Donate to Red Cross or shelters if you feel bad turning them down. Find a way to serve that doesn't jeopardize your safety,'' she said.