NIU is now required by federal law to inform students of crime levels on campus and it is about time.

If NIU students know the types of crimes that are occurring, they might be able to avoid becoming a victim.

Before the Campus Crime Reporting Act was enacted, students and parents could request a statistical report, but now NIU must inform everyone about crime.

And although the report will be a little distorted, the information will get through to the students.

The types of crimes that NIU is required to list, such as murders, rapes, aggravated assaults, robberies, burglaries and automobile thefts are crimes about which everyone should be aware.

However, the report should not be taken as gospel. Though all universities must adhere to the law, schools located in bigger cities will have a greater percentage of their crimes recorded by city police.

NIU Legal Counsel George Shur said he feels NIU is safer than most campuses. This is more than likely true because DeKalb’s population is smaller than most college towns. However, it does not mean crime at NIU should be ignored. NIU needs to stress safety and making crime statistics available to all is a step in the right direction.

NIU must and should tell the truth to students even though it will probably be distorted.