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The safety of a community is often a factor in considering where to live, especially as a new college student.
SafeWise, an online source for home security and safety advice, recently published its list of 50 safest college towns in America. Brookings, South Dakota tops the 2015 list and at No. 46 is Big Rapids, Michigan.
The list was made using crime statistics and the number of safety programs in a given town. SafeWise attributes this standing to collaboration between the Ferris Department of Public Safety, Big Rapids Department of Public Safety, the Mecosta County Sheriff’s Department and Michigan State Police.
“Not only does the department on campus work hard to make sure Ferris is a safe environment, cooperation also extends to the city and county departments,” said Captain Jim Cook, assistant director of the Ferris DPS.
SafeWise also mentions the Bulldogs Text Tip initiative as a good safety measure coordinated by the Ferris DPS. Students can confidentially report crimes to BulldogsTextTip@nullferris.edu or call (231) 591-5000.
Other Michigan college towns that made the list include Houghton, Marquette, East Lansing and Mount Pleasant.