Harvard students are advised to use common sense and stay in groups as they visit crime-ridden New Haven for the Yale game this weekend.

Catherine Sullivan, Transition Media Coordinator for New Haven Mayor-elect John DeStefano, said students should "know where you're going, and stay in well lit, busy areas."

"[New Haven] is a safe city," she said. "It's comparable to other cities."

However, according to the New Haven branch of the FBI, there were 3,525 violent crimes and 15,967 property crimes per 100,000 people in urban New Haven in 1991.

In the whole United States (including urban, suburban, and rural areas), there were 758 violent crimes and 5,139 property crimes per 100,000 people in 1991. Cambridge statistics were 1,006 violent crimes and 5,324 property crimes per 100,000 people for the same year.

But things are improving in New Haven, according to New Haven Police Public Information Officer Judith Mongillo.

"For the last two years, there has been a decrease in overall crime, including violent crime," she said.

"The campus area is not as bad as some areas around the city," according to New Haven Register reporter Patrick Dilger. "They've done $20 million in security improvements since a student was shot a couple of years ago."

Students and area residents say that visitors should not run into security problems as long as they take reasonable precautions.

Harvey M. Feinberg, Captain of the Blockwatch Chapter in the Westville neighborhood near the university, said "the university has worked very hard in improving security."

He advised visitors to "use common sense and walk in groups" and to park their cars in Yale lots, which are legal and free.

"Increased police presence has helped security," Yale freshman Sunny Chu said. "If you go around with people there is no problem."

"There are directions outside of campus that you don't want to go," Yale junior Garth Harries said. "Ask people and use common sense." Harries said he has heard about security problems involving Yale students in the past, including a student who had a camera stolen and one who was held up after withdrawing money from an ATM.

Yale and New Haven police said they are not particularly worried about the game.

Mongillo said she "doesn't know of any crime risks" associated with The Game, but she added that New Haven police would "work with Yale police to make sure there are adequate and visible patrols."

"The Game will have more police coverage, but there will be no more officers on the street," Yale Police Lieutenant William Hollohan said.