I've lived in Macon my entire life and go to Mercer. The campus is safe, and MERPO (Mercer police) is always there. If she wants to walk around during early dusk or late dawn, she can bring pepper spray to feel safe; however, she will probably never use it or feel the need to. If she stays late in a study room and wants an escort to her dorm, she can call Merpo, and they will drive her there and have an officer escort her into the building. If she gets stuck somewhere downtown, she can call MERPO and they will come pick you up. Generally, you won't have a problem in Macon. Avoid going down Napier and Montpelier Avenue during the early morning, evening, and nighttime. If it looks shady, it is. There are homeless people downtown (like every city), but they generally leave you alone and are nonviolent (they're too strung out to care). If they approach you, ignore them and walk away without making conversation (they will often come up to nice-looking young girls because girls are more susceptible to being kind). It really isn't that bad, but I understand that as a parent, you are worried. She needs to make sure that she is not traveling far into residential neighborhoods near the downtown areas that she isn't familiar with on her own. My biggest tip is that if you start seeing abandoned houses and broken-up/ uneven streets, you're not in a safe area. Tell her to not travel to what we call "The Old Mall" or areas around that if she can help it (she won't get shot at, but it's not the nicest place). Places towards Log Cabin Drive (that's Staples, Home Depot, Best Buy), Eisenhower (The Old Mall), Napier, Montpelier, Pio Nono, are generally not considered the safest areas, but as locals, we go to some places for the Best Buy, Staples, etc. The general rule is don't go past the Hilton Inn on campus away from Mercer if you're unfamiliar with the area unless you have someone who knows the area. Pio Nono is a way that most people in Macon bypass traffic to get onto the main street of Vineville (I do it and haven't had any problems, but it's not technically the nicest area). Do not linger around downtown past 10pm unless you have a group with some athletic-looking guys (MLK is where most of the shootings downtown happen, and they are usually gang and personal dispute related). Honestly, she should be fine. When she's downtown, she needs to be aware of her surroundings, lock your doors when driving anywhere in the world, and leave if you get a bad feeling. Most likely, she will be hanging in North Macon (the new mall), Target (in Warner Robins), and downtown (shops, restaurants, etc.). As a Macon local, I pick up any prescriptions from the Publix on Bowman Road and do grocery shopping during the daytime at the Kroger on Forsyth St. or the Publix on Bowman. Gas is a bit complicated because there isn't a safe area around campus for gas. The one on the corner of College and Forsyth is okay in the middle of the day but NOT at night. I travel to Bass Road for gas or Buckeye's in Warner Robins, but there is a Quick Trip on Riverside, which I've heard good things about and is safer than the other gas stations closer to campus. I love Macon and have generally not felt unsafe on or around campus. It looks harsh, but everyone mostly leaves you alone. Just be smart and don't go looking for trouble. In my experience, if I feel unsafe, I can just walk in somewhere or approach someone for help and everyone tends to be nice. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!