A night out in Downtown Binghamton can be an opportunity for a good time. But when you are there at night, it’s important to stay safe through all the fun.

This was the focus of a program held on Nov. 18 in Hinman College’s Cleveland Hall’s main lounge at which officer Marcus Mallon of Binghamton’s New York State University Police discussed the dangers students can face Downtown.

According to Mallon, BU students can sometimes be too trusting of their fellow students, and they are often targets for crime.

“Don’t travel anywhere alone,” Mallon warned. “Some townies resent college students.”

Mallon indicated that crimes like drugging, assault and sexual assault do occur, and the most common reason for them is alcohol.

“The biggest drug that makes people a victim here is alcohol,” he said. “Alcohol is far and away the main cause of sexual assault and other crimes.”

Knowing not everyone can abstain from alcohol, Mallon provided tips to stay safe. These included traveling in pairs, always having a cell phone and keeping an eye on your own drink — and not even entrusting it to a friend.

When asked how you can tell if you have been drugged, Mallon said to use judgement to assess if you feel more than “just drunk.”

“You tend to know the effect alcohol has on you,” Mallon said. “You know what it feels like. Look for warning signs of not feeling normal, like being more fatigued than you’d normally be.”

Mallon also noted students should not hesitate to call Harpur’s Ferry when in need.

In regard to physical altercations, Mallon said fighting happens frequently toward the end of the night. Disputes regularly take place in taxis between riders or with drivers.

Mallon’s advice to avoid fights was to “try to remove yourself from the situation as soon as you can.”

The discussion with Mallon was led by Carly Hochreiter, a junior majoring in studio art and a resident assistant in Cleveland Hall. Hochreiter held the program to help students learn how to avoid trouble Downtown.

“You hear a lot of students talking about going Downtown,” Hochreiter said. “Since we can’t stop them from going, we can at least educate them about how to do it safely.”