NH1 News recently reported the eight most dangerous cities in New Hampshire, Keene being one of them. When looking at these rankings, Keene, New Hampshire, was found to be the fifth most dangerous city in New Hampshire. Despite Keene State College (KSC) being right in the middle of the city, some students said they do not fear for their safety on campus.
KSC first-year Amy Damphousse said even with the release of this news, she feels pretty safe when in the city and on-campus.
When asked if she was aware of the news and how it made her feel, Damphousse said, “I did not know this, but it has not affected me personally so I am not really that concerned about it.”
Damphousse also mentioned that she especially feels safe on campus. When asked about her safety when on campus, Damphousse said, “I do [feel safe] because there is a lot of security and I feel like there are a lot of ways to avoid being put into danger.”
A file photo from NH1.com
On the contrary, sophomore Damon Young said there is definitely some concern to be had with the release of this news.
When asked if he knew about the news and how it made him feel, Young said, “I did not know personally, and it makes me feel a little unsure about the city because I thought it was safer.”
While Young expressed some concern about how this news can definitely have a big impact on students and those who live in Keene, he also expressed that he feels campus is a pretty safe place to be.
When asked how he feels while on campus, Young said, “Yes, I feel safe on campus because where I live is a very populated part of the campus, so I feel that there are plenty of people around that are witnesses and can help.”
First-year Stevie Russ also weighed in on how being a Keene State College student provides a sense of comfort and security.
Russ said she thinks Keene does a pretty good job of making all citizens feel safe.
Russ said, “I do not really feel scared or anything about the news because nothing has really happened to me personally.”
Russ said she also was very supportive of KSC’s on-campus security, and expressed some appreciation for the job that they do to make students feel safe on an everyday basis.
When asked to compare how she feels on campus versus off campus, Russ said, “I feel more safe on campus than I would downtown. I get a sense of being safe because of Campus Safety always patrolling, but when I go downtown, I do get a little nervous.”
Kyle Kemp can be contacted at kkemp@kscequinox.com
