Be aware of your surroundings – the overwhelming message in a discussion hosted by Safe Campuses Now.

Safety tips for many situations, including alcohol-filled downtown activities and walking to a car at night, were detailed Tuesday evening by a panel of Athens-Clarke County and University police officers.

“We want students to take a proactive initiative toward their safety,” Amanda Smith, a senior who works for Safe Campuses Now, said.

In the wake of murders on other college campuses, the organization decided to hold the discussion to inform students of precautions and safety issues.

“We hope students realize what happened to Eve Carson and Lauren Burk has the potential to happen here,” Keith Sims, executive director of Safe Campuses Now, said.

The murders of Burk, an Auburn University freshman and Carson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill student body president, occurred within days of each other early this month.

“We don’t want to scare students, but we want to give them tips and tools to get them home safe,” Sims said.

The deaths of the two young women hit particularly close to home at the University.

Burk went to high school in metro Atlanta and was friends with many University students.

Carson was from Athens and was the valedictorian of Clarke Central High School.

The four police officers on the panel encouraged students to trust their instincts and dial 911 if they felt unsafe in any situation.

Statistics show walking with one other person reduces the chance of crime by 60 percent, and walking in groups of three or more reduces the chance of crime by 90 percent, Sims said in a presentation.

“Crimes can happen to anyone, and the reality is that it does happen. Be aware and understand things can happen to you,” University police Lt. Lisa Boone said.

Boone advised students to stay in well-lighted areas, keep car doors locked, not leave valuables in plain view and not travel alone at night.

Students asked about underage drinking and the implications of reporting a crime while under the influence.

“Go ahead and report it,” said ACC Lt. Willie Brickley. “We lose possible video and witnesses if you don’t, so go ahead and call 911 right away.”

University police agreed.

“Most of the time we would not charge the person with underage drinking,” Boone said. “Our job is to investigate the crime. Especially with crimes such as sexual assault cases, time is imperative.”