Campus Security: Why it Matters and How We Prioritize it at Grace College

You’ve heard that Winona Lake, Indiana, is a beautiful place to live. But what about its safety? Attending college is a big step for a student and their parents, and we understand that college safety is a major concern when it comes to selecting an institution. Not only are you living on an unknown campus, but you’re also immersed in a new community.

So, how do you know if a college town is a safe place to live?

Well, we can’t speak for everyone, but we can speak for Grace.

Grace’s campus sits atop a hill overlooking the quaint, picturesque village of Winona Lake. According to Niche.com, a website that reviews town safety, Winona Lake is “one of the best places to live in Indiana, with a population of 4,910.” The site gives Winona Lake an overall rating of an A+.

Other sources confirm this. AdvisorSmith completed a study on the crime rates of Indiana’s cities and found Winona Lake to be the fourth safest small city in Indiana. College Consensus ranked Grace College’s home as one of the best river and lake college towns in the country. On its website, it states:

“Winona Lake has been recognized as one of the safest towns in Indiana and is known to students as one of the best college towns in the Midwest.”

We are open and transparent about our campus security. Winona Lake is a safe place to live, and we are dedicated to keeping it that way.

The Community

The Village at Winona, located just a few blocks off campus, contains independently owned businesses, including coffee and ice cream shops, a pottery store, and unique restaurants. Grace students often walk down to the village to enjoy a day browsing the shops and walking along the lakeshore.

Nadya Gorbacheva, an international student from Moscow, Russia, has spent a lot of time walking through the village, traveling between campus and her host home. 

“I always feel safe around Winona Lake because of the friendly atmosphere and people,” she said. “The park, the coffee shops, and other places in Winona remind me of the countryside back home.”

Luke Wright was born and raised in Winona Lake and now runs his business, Belove, in the village.

“Being in Winona Lake has been very valuable to the business,” Wright said. “The community has shown incredible support and has made us who we are today. With the security the Village at Winona provides, we can rest assured that our business is safe. We also have a strong and loving community that will notify us if they see anything suspicious.”

Learn more about the Village at Winona.

Local Law Enforcement

The Winona Lake law enforcement is not only concerned about the safety of the town, but it also closely monitors Grace College.

“Officers are on campus daily, patrolling and developing relationships with the Grace community,” said Craig Allebach, Grace College Campus Safety liaison. “Over half of the officers in the police department are former Grace College campus security officers, graduates, and former employees, so they take a vested interest in the Grace community.”

According to areavibes, a website that rates the safety and livability of areas in the U.S., Winona Lake’s crime rates are 33% lower than the national average. 

Captain Joe Hawn, Chief of the Winona Lake Police Department, confirmed the low crime rate.

“Winona Lake has a relatively low crime rate, and Grace College should be considered a very safe college,” he said. “Citizens help make any community safer, and if citizens keep an eye on the community and report suspicious activities, the community will be safer. Along with citizen reports, law enforcement needs to be diligent in patrolling areas and being visible.”

Safety on Campus

Every year, Grace publishes an annual campus security report that describes new college safety measures and reports on the current state of safety on campus.

A few of the safety regulations at Grace include:

• Giving all students and employees local emergency numbers and clear guidance in case of an emergency situation.
• Restricting access to residence halls on campus to anyone outside of resident staff, student residents, and approved guests.
• Installing surveillance cameras, which can be monitored by the campus safety office and the physical plant, in high traffic areas on campus that have high levels of public access.
• Providing a campus safety number that all students are required to put in their phones when they move to Grace. Any student can call at any time to receive assistance from a campus safety officer, from car jumps to safe rides to their dorm at night.

Grace student Jonathan Downey serves as a campus safety officer.

“Grace College Campus Safety offers a range of services and assistance, including jump starts, fire alarms, safe rides, and help in medical emergencies,” said Downey. “Campus Safety patrols during late hours to be present for any needs throughout a 24/7 period. As a student officer, I appreciate the proactive measures taken by Grace College Campus Safety to create a secure environment, instilling confidence in the overall safety of our campus for all students.”

For Parents, From Parents

Even after seeing the facts on paper, we know what it’s like to be a protective parent. We know you want to hear from other parents who have been in your shoes, discerning where to send their student to college with a good conscience.

Cory Boruvka, the parent of a Grace student, lives four hours away but feels at ease with sending his son to a school far from home.

“When I was in college in the late ‘90s, I went to a large public university,” said Boruvka. “Drinking and partying were rampant across campus and the city. That led to uneasiness and insecurity for many students, particularly after dark,” said Boruvka.

After college, Boruvka moved to a safe community and longed to send his child to a place that felt like home.

“When we first visited Grace College, I was instantly attracted to the environment on and around campus,” said Boruvka. “It reminded me of the friendly culture at home.” 

Boruvka has also appreciated the safety of Winona Lake.

“Since our son has been a student at Grace for the past couple of years, we’ve spent lots of time on and around campus,” he said. “We’ve done everything from wandering through the Christmas light display in the village, to participating in night hikes through the woods, to sitting around a bonfire in the evening. I’ve always felt 100% safe, and this assures me that the students are in good hands.”

College safety should be taken seriously by campus security, local law enforcement, students, staff, and parents. We do everything we can to ensure Grace College and Winona Lake provide a safe, secure, and comfortable setting for all.

If you’re interested in Grace College, learn more about our campus and discover the Winona Lake community.

To read more about our campus safety and security, use these links:

Title IX resources

Nondiscrimination and equity policies and procedures

Student Right to Know resources