Class Post 2: Farnham Still a Safe Town…despite Recent Crime

Farnham is a “historic market town” on the Western border between the counties of Surrey and Hampshire in England. With a population of nearly 40,000, this town is cherished for its historical landmarks and its scenic forests. It is a quaint town to visit although restless souls such as the thousands of students applying to the University of Creative Arts, formerly the Surrey Institute of Art and Design, might have trouble living there. And yet, even in a place reminiscent of 1950’s American suburbia, this town is not without crime.

On February 8, a house near UCA Farnham was burgled. Police told the Farnham Herald, a local daily newspaper, that the thief probably broke into the house between 9.30am and 8.30pm. A Dell laptop worth 10£ was stolen and the culprit damaged the entrance to the patio in the house.

Surprisingly though, students and staff from UCA Farnham do not appear to be phased by the event. According to an opinion poll carried out, half of the people interviewed said that the crime made little difference on the safety of the town:

“I don’t think things have particularly got worse here…We’ve been here for a year and a half and I don’t think things have gotten particularly worse here in that year and a half,” said Henry Kelly and Charlie Russell, age 22 and 24 respectively.

25 per cent of the interviewees felt that there was nothing unusual about the event despite the good reputation that the town has for security:

“Let’s not kid ourselves,” said student Chris Parkinson, 22 “At the end of the day, it’s a town where people live. There’s bad people and good people and just because it looks like Laura Ashley Ville, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t any violence or any crime…You have to expect it anywhere you live. I do like it here, it looks very peaceful or so it looks,”