Anyone who has lived near campus knows that Fresno State is a very active and busy place. The surrounding area is not only inhabited by college students, but also residential families, and community members of ­El Dorado Park. This combination of these communities can create some dangerous scenarios and often leave students in unsafe situations.

A few weeks ago, my car window was smashed when parked near campus. Though nothing was stolen and no one was harmed, I still have this lingering feeling that the area surrounding Fresno State is not safe.

It feels like I’ve been violated or targeted, like I am a trespasser in a community that I pay thousands of dollars a year to be apart of.

So while my car has been with the mechanic being repaired, I have been walking to and from school. As if worrying about my car wasn’t enough, now I worry about the thugs that could appear and try to rob me for my cell phone or the laptop in my backpack.

After taking the Bulldog Express to sorority mall on Millbrook Avenue late one night, I notice glass all over the ground on the street. As it turns out, another person’s car was broken into.

It seems like every week there is a new incident that someone was stabbed, mugged, assaulted, or robbed in the Fresno State area. The best safety measure I can imagine would be to drive instead of walk late at night and to park in well lit areas, but even those areas are being targeted.

I am now without a car, and forced to walk home, call an uber or a ride from a friend, or use public transportation. These are all seemingly normal means of transportation, but each also comes with the fear that before I get from point A to point B, I am already in danger just for being near campus.

When is the crime going to be controlled in this neighborhood? Students should be able to leave their car unattended without worrying if someone will try to break their window, and they should be able to walk home from campus without the fear of being assaulted.