In a study published in 2011, the Crime Prevention Division of the Ministry of Attorney General and Justice defined routine activities theory as “a crime that occurs when an accessible target, the absence of capable guardians who could intervene and the presence of a motivated offender combine in a given space and time” (Routine Activities Theory, 2011). Although this report was published in New South Wales, Australia, routine activities theory is relevant around the world and can even be seen on the campus of Iowa State University. Iowa State University offers a variety of services to help keep its students safe, such as a security escort service. which will pick up and drop off students at any time on campus. That said, Iowa State is first and foremost a pedestrian-friendly campus. It is possible to reach virtually any two points on campus in fifteen minutes or less. Most trails are used by students throughout the day, and street lights are placed around campus at night to prevent students from walking in the dark. However, there is a shortcut between Friley Residence Hall and Memorial Union along Lake LaVerne that remains completely dark at night, making it a dangerous location for students and Ames residents. When I still lived in Friley, my friends and I would refer to this path as "the rape path." Walking along the walking path during the day was fine, but at night the experience is rather unsettling. With the overgrown trees and lack of street lights, the trail would be the perfect space for crime to occur. The path is shown in red on the map below. However, there is no better alternative. Although the yellow trail runs alongside a road, it takes longer to get back to... middle of paper ... bumps would feel much safer. An alternative idea would be to install circuit cameras along the path. The Iowa State University Police Department could monitor the cameras, providing a capable guard. There are two obvious drawbacks to this idea. First, a police officer would have to spend valuable time monitoring the cameras for the system to be effective. Second, the cost of installing the cameras would be higher than that of lighting the path. Although it would be impossible to make a campus completely crime-free, Iowa State could prevent future crimes in this area by taking a proactive approach in keeping its students safe. Works cited Theory of routine activities crime prevention. (2011). Retrieved February 16, 2014 from http://www.crimeprevention.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/cpd/m660001l2/routineactivityfactsheet_nov2011.pdf