By Jennifer Price
After seven separate robberies of laptops, cell phones and a Coach wristlet in the past two months, the George Washington Police Department is urging students, staff and faculty to be aware of their surroundings while walking around campus.
“Everybody who has been victimized has been distracted at the time of the crime,” says Assistant Chief of Police Frank Demes.
Three of the crimes occurred near the Foggy Bottom Metro Station, and two happened at the Gelman Library Starbucks. All of the robberies involved iPhones or MacBooks, with the exception of the most recent theft, where a Coach wristlet was stolen on Feb. 27.
“There seems to have been an increase in robberies, and it seems to be specific to Apple technology,” says Mr. Demes. “These technology devices have a high value, and because students are walking around with them, it’s easy for someone to take them away.”
In most cases, the suspects fled toward the metro station. GWPD searched for the suspects, but were unable to locate them to date. But in the most recent incident, the victim did not report the robbery until 10 a.m., eight hours after the theft occurred. GWPD urges members of the GW community to immediately report robberies to the police.
“The quicker they report it to us, the better chance we have of catching the culprits,” says Mr. Demes.
The most important thing members of the GW community can do is pay attention to what’s going on around them, says Mr. Demes.
“When people are walking down the street with earphones on, they are sometimes completely unaware of their surroundings. They’ve lost their ability to hear what’s around them. And then if they’re playing a game on their cell phone or sending a text message, they’ve lost their ability to see and concentrate,” says Mr. Demes.
When sitting on a bus, train or at a restaurant, keep purse or backpack straps over your knees, between your legs or around your feet.
“Keep them within your visual range, not behind you or beneath you,” says Mr. Demes.
Mr. Demes suggests students, faculty and staff use Bluetooth devices and leave their phones in their pockets, purses or backpacks while walking around campus.
GWPD also recommends never walking alone at night. Instead use GWPD’s Colonial Express Shuttle or the George Washington University 4-RIDE Escort Service.
Colonial Express shuttle buses run a continuous route from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. seven days a week. Its northern route stops at the Marvin Center and Gelman Library, the Aston, the corner of 19th and L streets, the corner of Connecticut and L streets and the corner of 20th and Eye streets. The southern route stops at the Marvin Center and Gelman Library, Thurston Hall, Learner Health and Wellness Center, the Hall on Virginia Avenue and Columbia Plaza.
The University Escort Service provides van rides from 7 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. seven days a week. Call 202-994-RIDE and give your name, current location and destination to the GWPD dispatcher.
Both the Colonial Express shuttles and the 4-RIDE Escort Service are free to members of the GW community.
Mr. Demes also suggests familiarizing yourself with the location of the more than 35 blue light emergency phones spread throughout campus. The phones dial directly to a GWPD dispatcher.
GWPD urges members of the Foggy Bottom campus to program GWPD’s emergency number, 202-994-6111, into their phones. Members of the Mt. Vernon campus should call 202-242-6111.