“One of the most important things about any location is perceptions,” said Harold Shiffman, an inspector with Campus Safety and the manager of IT investigations and risk assessment. Crime statistics tell one story “but if people don’t feel safe, they won’t use that space.” The survey is designed to identify those spots on campus.

Accessible from the Campus Safety website, the survey asks participants a number of questions about what they believe the crime rate on campus is, where they believe crimes occur, personal experiences with crime and what parts of campus they believe are more or less safe than others.

“If the results of the survey mesh with our data and with what we’re already doing, then we’ll know we’re going down the right path,” Shiffman said. In some areas though, knowing people’s perceptions about safety may result in Campus Safety making recommendations for changes to the space.

To participate in the survey, go to www.usask.ca/campussafety