Abstract

The purpose of this study is to gain insight into how a university community can best respond to women's fear of crime and its restrictive effects such as self imposed limitations on the use of public space. This investigation draws from feminist geographical research on women's fear of crime to evaluate the policy mandate and service provision of the Concordia Student Safety Patrol (CSSP). Some of the issues examined in the case study include the degree to which the CSSP has considered the characteristics and effects of the geography of women's fear, the nature of the messages communicated by the CSSP concerning the geography of fear and danger, and the quality of the links to similar initiatives on and off campus. The study concludes by evaluating the CSSP for its success in providing a liberating and informed alternative to fear, and by offering recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the service in fulfilling its mandate to reduce fear. Conclusions are based on the argument that universities, have both the opportunity and responsibility to emphasize strategies that encourage individuals to understand and overcome their fear and become empowered to freely access the public sphere.