Many students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette spend their weekends in Downtown Lafayette. While going out and having fun is not a bad thing, it does come with risks that students should keep in mind.
There are multiple clubs and bars Downtown that offer drinks, food and dancing for anyone over the age of 18. These places provide a place for students to hangout and socialize outside of the school environment.
Many of the most popular locations Downtown are in the zip code 70501. According to CrimeGrade.org, “70501 ranks in the 5th percentile for safety, meaning it is safer than 5% of zip codes but less safe than 95%.”
Sergeant Lance Frederick of the ULPD provided a list of tips that can help keep students safe on their nights out.
First, before going out, it’s crucial to make sure all phones and electronics are charged. If a student needs help getting back to their car, the police stationed outside of the buildings can help if the location of the car is on a phone. Even if the location is not on a phone, having a charged device allows for students to phone a friend for help.
Secondly, students should always have a plan for getting to and from the location that they’re going to and they should make sure that all valuables are hidden and out of sight in their vehicles.
Frederick said, “Have a plan for getting home. Don’t leave your valuables visible in your car. That is a huge one because they’ll come back and some of this stuff is stolen. When we find out where it was, it was right there in the open.”
The third, fourth and fifth tips all go together. Don’t ever go alone, don’t leave anyone behind and figure out a meeting spot. Everyone should be aware of a safe meeting spot to go to if someone happens to get separated from the group. Frederick said, “Another one people don’t think about is having a safe meeting spot. If you get separated from your friends, if their phone dies, if their friend can’t hear the phone because the music is playing too loud, whatever the case may be, they need to have a place that they would meet in case one of them is ready to go or they lose track of each other.”
He continued, “Don’t go alone, don’t leave with anyone you didn’t show up with, don’t leave anyone behind, that’s a big one and trust your instincts. If it feels shady, it’s because it is.”
Sixth, make sure you have eyes on drinks at all times. It’s incredibly easy for people with bad intentions to slip something into a drink as they pass by. Students should never leave drinks unattended, always cover them and never accept any drinks that were not made in front of them.
Frederick said, “Don’t leave it anywhere. Don’t drink anything that you didn’t see get made in front of you because, again, people can put special K, ketamine, or something like that inside the drink. It’s tasteless, smell-less and doesn’t make a sud. You can’t tell it’s in there until it’s too late.”
Lastly, students should always be aware of their surroundings no matter where they are or how intoxicated they are. It is typically a good idea to have either a designated driver or a plan for an Uber or Lyft. If there is a designated driver, they should park in a well-lit area instead of between buildings.
Kayon Hall, a freshman nursing major, explained that when she goes Downtown, she goes with a group of friends. “We normally Uber so nobody has to drive and we always try to make sure at least one person is sober the whole night, so you know everybody can get home. When we get back to campus, we all try to walk each other to our dorms, but we all really live in the same place, so you know, we don’t have to do too much.”
Goddiss Burch, a junior health information management major, said, “What I do when I go Downtown is I don’t go alone. I make sure I’m with a big group of people, and I always watch my surroundings, like, no matter how the night goes, I watch my surroundings.”
David Druilhet, a junior business management major, said, “I’d make sure I’m with a large group of people that I trust for going Downtown. I’d never go alone, and be aware of your surroundings.”
While there are things that can go wrong when venturing to Downtown Lafayette, these tips can make it easier to stay safe and still have fun.