There have been a string of robberies in the Ames area recently. Ames may not be New York City, but people still need to take safety precautions.

The most recent and publicized robbery occurred in West Ames where an 80-year-old woman and her 2-year-old grandson were bound and gagged with duct tape while four robbers ransacked the woman’s home.

As you can see, things like this don’t only happen in big cities.

Ames has a population of almost 50,000 people, which is small compared to other cities. And the students who attend Iowa State make up almost half of that figure.

A lot of students who come to ISU come from communities smaller than Ames, where everyone knows everybody and no one locks their doors. They come from places where people leave there cars running while they go into the local Casey’s store to pick up a Slim Jim.

Although Iowa may have a lower crime rate than other states like New York, Texas and California, criminals don’t congregate in states where the crime rate is highest.

Criminals can be found everywhere.

And it seems as though crime will continue to rise.

According to research, violent crimes committed by teen-agers in Iowa are up, despite a nationwide decrease in juvenile crime. Research shows the number of crimes committed by teens in some cases surpasses the adult rate.

Ames Police Chief Dennis Ballantine said the six reports of minor vandalism to automobiles near campus on Saturday, Nov. 8, were possibly the action of a drunk.

People need to use common sense and not be so trusting. This doesn’t mean the loss of good-old Iowa hospitality, but you can’t tell who’s a criminal by looking at people.