Mid-morning on Wednesday, many University students found the alarmingly titled “Campus Crime Alert” waiting in their e-mail inbox. As requested by the University’s Department of Public Safety, the message was sent out to all residence hall occupants and publicized the attempted abduction of a female student that occurred late Sunday, Nov. 9.
The alert was the first to be sent out to students, according to Director of Residence Life Sandy Schoonover, although several attacks have occurred during the past month. Since Oct. 19, DPS reported that four attacks have occurred on campus.

“Lately, these instances have been happening a lot more often,” DPS officer Lisa Larkin said. “The descriptions of the attackers differ, so for now, we don’t suspect that the events are connected.”
Early in the morning of Oct. 19 , a male attacked two female students outside McArthur Court, according to campus crime statistics on DPS’ Web site. Two separate incidents also occurred Oct. 30. The first, at about 6 p.m., involved a female student who was struck from behind while jogging. Later that night, according to DPS, a male and two females assaulted a group of male and female students.
The Eugene Police Department also reported an attack that occurred Saturday at about 3 a.m. in the southeast campus area.
In all cases, the involved students got away safely.
Even with DPS and EPD patrolling campus, University freshman Jennifer Mahan wasn’t surprised when she received the e-mail alert.
“It can give you a false sense of security being on a college campus, but we’re still in the middle of a big city,” Mahan said. “It doesn’t surprise me that crimes like this are occurring.”
Mahan said she thinks there should be more security patrols, especially at night.
University sophomore Megan Knowles agrees with Mahan. A former music major, Knowles often walked past Pioneer Cemetery on the way to the music building and rarely saw patrols near the area. Larkin, the DPS officer, cautioned, “At night, I would avoid the graveyard at all costs.” Two of the recent incidents have occurred around the cemetery.
DPS suggests that students walk in large groups along well-lit paths that are frequented by other people. Larkin also urges students to call an Assault Prevention Shuttle, a DPS escort or even a taxi for late-night trips home.
If the only option is to walk, talking on a cell phone isn’t always the best strategy, Larkin said.
“Being on a cell phone distracts you from being aware of your surroundings,” the officer said. “It’s more effective to walk with confidence. When approaching people, look them in the eye as if to say, ‘If you’re looking to victimize someone, it’s not me.’”
DPS is monitoring areas where the attacks have occurred and looking for anyone who matches the descriptions, which are available to the public on DPS’ Web site. All students have been asked to immediately report any suspicious activity to DPS.
“I’d rather have someone call and then go find out nothing is actually happening than for something worse to occur,” Larkin said.
In 2007, eight aggravated assaults and four forcible sex offenses were reported to DPS. According to a 2005 U.S. Department of Justice study, at least 35 of every 1,000 women on a college campus are violently or sexually assaulted each academic year.
Larkin said students who are attacked often don’t report the incident right away.
“Normally, the student is in shock,” Larkin said. “They can’t believe something like this happened to them so they’ll call someone else first. It’s that person who then reminds them to call the police.”
Even with the recent attacks on campus, many students didn’t receive Wednesday’s crime alert because it was only sent to students living in the residence halls. Students who live off-campus must check DPS’ Web site for updates.
“Public Safety is not authorized to provide law enforcement services to the near off-campus student community,” DPS Assistant Chief Doug Tripp said. “However, UO DPS and others work closely with EPD to ensure student needs are fully understood.”
Those living off-campus in University fraternities and sororities met Wednesday to discuss strategies to stay safe.
“Safety is a constant conversation between sororities,” Greek Leadership Advisor Amy Long said. “Exact measures depend on the house, but we all discuss how to respond in such a situation, who to call, and the importance of always being aware of your surroundings.”
Before the recent assaults, Long said, some sororities were already employing security companies to keep their members safe at night. Fraternities also met Wednesday to discuss, Long said, “how to make campus more comfortable for women. For example, by never letting a female student walk home alone.”
Another resource for students who have been assaulted is the ASUO Women’s Center. Located on the bottom floor of the EMU, the Women’s Center is stocked with information for students who have been assaulted or know someone who has.
“It is infrequent that people come in to report an abusive relationship or sexual assault explicitly, but people frequently come in to access services and get referrals,” said Rebecca Sprinson, the Sexual Violence Prevention and Education Coordinator at the Women’s Center. “We would not report an assault to DPS unless the person specifically wanted to.”
University freshman Nicole Lawson said although reporting the incident may be intimidating, she’d rather “have the person caught and locked up than have them hurt another. I would, however, be nervous talking to a stranger about it.”
For Larkin, the best advice of all is to follow your gut.
“People’s instincts are really good,” she said. “Don’t ignore them. If you feel like something is wrong or that someone is suspicious, you’re probably right.”
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