Having lived in the University Heights district my entire life, I can vouch for it being a terrific neighborhood, especially for college students.
All amenities, from groceries to clothing to obscure records, are within walking distance from South Campus. Local businesses offer hangouts beyond Ellicott or Putnams, and the area serves as one of the first Buffalo locales students see when they take the shuttle from the North Campus. And now that Main Street construction is completed, the neighborhood is looking more polished than ever.
However, like crime waves of years past, safety concerns in the Heights are increasing once again. This means that local police forces, students and residents have to take extra measures to ensure that the area stays safe and progressive.
In line with the rise of overall violent crime in Buffalo this year, as noted by the Buffalo Police Department, recent foul play in the Heights area has increased, and the crimes range from trivial to tragic.
The offenders involved are also getting bolder in their tactics, or maybe less concerned about where and how they do their dirty work.
Earlier this month, the tragic slaying of deli operator Ziad Nasser on Englewood Avenue happened in broad daylight.
On a lesser scale, store holdups and scenarios like the recent mugging on Lisbon Avenue last Sunday are not uncommon occurrences. In fact, I've had a friend who was hit over the head with a brick and had her wallet stolen while she was walking down Highgate at night, another friend whose dog was stolen out of his front yard on Winspear. I've been harassed by budding criminals on my own street, most of whom are just teenagers that nobody bothered to raise.
Would I say the Heights neighborhood is extremely unsafe and on the verge of collapse? Definitely not. The Heights might not offer a bustling metropolitan environment, but residents and the steady influx of off-campus student residents keep the area interesting. The community is alive and colorful, still an enjoyable locale in a city frequently criticized for its abandoned or run-down neighborhoods.
Such factors are the reason why Heights safety is so important. While cautionary measures should be applied to all areas of Buffalo, South Campus and University Heights safety is especially crucial because the area offers potential commuters and residents a taste of the city. It has the resources necessary for a thriving community, and can draw in permanent residents to Buffalo.
Heights businesses and culture are already at a disadvantage from a UB standpoint. While off-campus residents help keep the area going, the majority of students keep to the small isolated city that is North Campus in order to complete their daily routines.
Residents have also been flocking out of the area for nearby suburbs.
Businesses in the Heights section of Main Street have been forced to close down through the years due to lack of customers.
The increase in crime can be further detriment to the area's reputation, and discourage students and suburbanites from entering the city at all.
Instead of moving forward and drawing even more students and residents to the area, Main Street can become a permanent ghost town.
University and local police have taken notice of crime in the area, and have been making efforts to promote safety on South Campus. In an article that ran in the Spectrum earlier this month, Chief of Police Gerald Schoenle said that UB police are keeping special watch on South Campus. Within the first day of school, a potential disaster was prevented when UB Police broke up a group of teenagers ganging up on a student on South Campus.
Buffalo police have also been cracking down on violent crimes throughout the city, and have shown a greater presence in the Heights area.
The increase in delinquencies throughout Buffalo should by no means discourage students from entering the city, but they should be slightly more aware when walking around at night or by themselves.
Preventing crime in one area of Buffalo won't eradicate the problem completely, but why let another resourceful and noteworthy neighborhood fall apart?
