In the past 35 days, three cases of attempted assault and/or theft were reported to the Department of Public Safety by RPI students. The attempts don’t appear to be related but they have raised many concerns and fears in the RPI community.
The first of these attacks happened on Friday, September 6, at 3:40 pm at the corner of 15th Street and Sage Ave. The victim, who is the only female to be involved in any of the three cases, reported that a white male used a gun to order her into his van. “We are very concerned and we are doing all we can to find out the perpetrators,” said President Jackson.
The second assault was a source of bewilderment to many in the community. “It was actually still daylight when it happened, which is not a common thing,” said Mark Smith, dean of students. In this case the student was assaulted when he was walking in the area of Sage Avenue and Sherry Road. “There were no vehicles in this case, and the suspect was walking with a group of 11 people,” said Lt. Joe Audino. Because the suspect was hit without any provocation or warning, Audino believes that the suspects were a group of high school students “looking for trouble.”
The third case took place this weekend. It happened at 1:00 am near the Field House on the Peoples Avenue side. The victim reported that he was hit by a black male who came out of a dark-grey car. The student suffered a chipped tooth and did not report the case until 6:00 pm that day. “In this case, as in all the others, the victims were walking alone, and that made them vulnerable,” said Audino.
At this point the Troy Police is investigating these cases, but as in all hit-and-run type of assaults the probability of finding the culprit is very low. The best solution is prevention. “Students should not walk alone at night, it is common sense, but students in their haste always forget to do it,” said Smith.
DPS, in an effort to increase awareness, has started a flier program for crime alerts. Moreover, the number and the routes of patrols have been increased. “Students need to be cautioned and stay alert, especially if a student saw something that might help in investigations,” said Vice President of Administration Claude Rounds. While similar assaults have been reported in the past, the number of on-campus assaults is a “new trend,” said Audino.
Other ideas and solutions are being discussed with both the student government and Troy police according to Rounds. The DPS’s escort program is also available for students after 5 pm. “We will either drive or walk with the student if they are alone,” said Audino. Using the shuttle during it operation hours is also available to students. “It would be even more helpful if the shuttle’s trips were more frequent and if more routes were added,” said Mary Kate DiTursi, a graduate student in chemical engineering. Another important tool that is often overlooked when it comes to safety is the whistle. “If anyone needs one, we have them free of charge for all students. It has worked for people, and you don’t know if you will ever need it,” said Audino.
However, everyone close to these cases either in the administration, law enforcement, or general student body believes that the most important solution to this problem lies with every student. “Use the Buddy system, and while you are walking stay alert,” said Richard Christian ’04.
