A recent armed robbery at a popular Palo Alto ice cream parlor was a rather jarring occurrence, even if many of us on campus were blissfully unaware of it. The simple fact is that Stanford is located in suburbia, and we tend to assume that we are relatively safe from most crime. Our open campus encourages this carefree attitude. While it is wonderful that the vast majority of us enjoy a wide degree of freedom and go about our business untroubled, it is important that we do what we can to remain vigilant so our campus can remain both open and safe.

Other universities located in more urban areas often have keycard-limited access to most buildings and even security guards posted at the doors. Here, we are fortunate not to have to resort to such measures. The University’s Department of Public Safety Web site and police blotter mention only a few instances of prowling, sexual assault and auto burglaries each month. While these are all unfortunate occurrences, they remain rather uncommon, and attempts to alleviate serious crimes such as sexual assault are dealt with through programming and other methods.

There are, however, certain issues of theft that continue to plague our campus. Bike theft flares up fairly frequently, a spate of auto burglaries occurred over spring break and it is not uncommon to hear of a break-in in one of the dormitories. Not long ago, several laptops were stolen from Sterling Quad.

In all likelihood, minor crimes will continue. We are fortunate that, ever since an incident of armed robbery on campus a few years ago, Stanford has been relatively devoid of violent crime. Campus security remains effective at deterring potential crime. Many would argue that the benefits of a free and open campus far outweigh the marginal advantage — security guards posted at dorms and keycard-access for buildings — of some other schools, and this is certainly the opinion of The Daily.

Still, we can all help maintain this laid-back atmosphere by paying attention to our surroundings. We should not be too busy to notice whether or not a stranger is entering our dorm, and even engage in the awkward and unfriendly “who are you and who are you here to see” line of questioning. We should be quick to file Fix-it requests for doors that do not close completely, and not prop them open. And if anyone sees a person walking with a locked bike, don’t be afraid to stop them and amiably ask what they are up to.

The Department of Public Safety advises such behavior as going to campus ATMs only during the daytime, removing vehicular devices and mountings when away from the car and recording the serial numbers of your electronic equipment in case of theft. These and other conscientious behaviors will serve us well in keeping our campus community as amazingly safe as it us and our daily actions unhindered.

Even if we are all on the lookout for suspicious activity, perhaps we would fail to catch the audacious thieves who impersonated piano repairmen and absconded with a Branner piano several years back, but it would be a start. By refusing to become complacent and unaware of the potential threats, we can help keep Stanford secure and free.