Following recent GW Alert notifications of robberies in Foggy Bottom, campus security leaders stress these incidents, while incredibly troubling, remain extremely rare.
“Statistically, it’s the same as the past two years,” said Darrell Darnell, senior associate vice president of safety and security.
GW Police Chief Kevin Hay said that robberies are much less common on campus than property crimes, including theft of unattended property, and armed robberies are even rarer. “Typically, what we see in robbery situations is the person strong-arms the victim but there’s no weapon,” he said. “But theft is much, much more common.”
GW Campus Safety, the GW Police Department and the Metropolitan Police Department are all working together to keep the university community informed about recent incidents and to apprehend suspects.
The GW Alert system, which was introduced last year, has been an effective tool both in alerting community members to threats and to gathering important crime-solving information, Mr. Darnell said. It has also made people more aware of crimes as they occur.
“The system is faster and more reliable now, and there are also some good side benefits,” he said. “After a recent alert about a con artist [who scammed several students out of money], we got two emails from people who provided additional information about another person involved in the scam.”
Chief Hay said the same alert also yielded three walk-in reports at the police department about the scammer.
In addition, the university’s use of social media to get out information about safety concerns has increased awareness about crimes on campus.
“While we do not want to alarm the GW community unnecessarily, we do believe we should use every method available to us to let our students know when there is a potential threat,” said Associate Vice President for Communications Sarah Baldassaro.
Under the Alert D.C. system, there were about 14,000 contact emails and phone numbers in the system. Now, the system includes 38,000 email addresses and 19,000 phone numbers. And more people receiving the alerts means more ears and eyes on the lookout, Chief Hay said.
“Crime prevention is both a police and a community problem. We want the community to be aware, both for their own safety and to assist us,” he said.
The GWPD uses crime statistics to adjust officer patrols and increase coverage as needed. Typically, there are 16 to 18 officers on duty during every eight-hour shift, on foot patrol, bicycle patrol and providing access control in some residence halls, Mr. Darnell said.
The robberies that have occurred since December all appear to be distinct incidents with different suspects, Chief Hay said. “There’s not one guy preying on people. These are all crimes of opportunity.”
Community members can avoid being a victim of a crime of opportunity by remembering some simple tips, Chief Hay and Mr. Darnell agreed. Don’t walk around with expensive electronics in hand, and make sure your cash is safely stowed in your purse or wallet and carried close to your body. Stick to well-traveled streets, especially when walking at night, travel in groups when possible and know the location of campus blue emergency lights. Call 4-Ride, the university’s free escort service, instead of walking alone, and program the 24-hour Campus Police phone number (202-994-6111) into your cell phone.
And most important, said Chief Hay, is to be aware of your surroundings.
“Be alert. If you think you’re being followed, cross the street and go into an open business or anywhere there are other people. And we don’t want anyone to resist during a robbery attempt. Give up your property immediately, and report the incident as soon as possible. Try to remember the suspect’s basic description.”
New students should attend the safety briefings offered at every Colonial Inauguration session, and all students should consider taking GWPD’s self-defense classes, offered every semester on campus at no charge. Some classes are geared especially toward women, while others are for both women and men. The spring 2012 self-defense class schedule is online.