A string of events-including the death of a graduate student by gunshot, a near-robbery of a recent graduate and two armed robberies-has left students questioning the strength of existing off-campus security measures this weekend.
A graduate student and a Duke employee reported separate armed robberies near the Poplar Manor Apartments on Campus Walk Drive less than one mile from West Campus around 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Sunday night, respectively.
The graduate student said he gave the gunman his wallet, cell phone and iPod, and the Duke employee said the criminal robbed him of his wallet as he walked home with his wife.
Both victims described the criminal as a five-feet-eight-inches tall black male wearing a black coat with brown fur trim, black pants and white sneakers. The man was also described as wearing a black or black-and-white bandana.
Similar suspects have been linked to a series of robberies-more than 30 since Jan. 1-targeting the Hispanic community, according to a Durham Police Department press release.
Nine of the cases were reported between 6:26 p.m. Friday and 6:43 p.m. Saturday.
"In most cases, the victims are robbed in parking lots of apartment complexes and most of the robberies occur at gunpoint," the DPD statement reads. "The majority of the robberies are reported between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m., and the suspects usually take cash, wallets and/or cell phones. The number of suspects ranges from one to three, and the suspects are usually described as black males dressed in dark clothing."
A Duke student also said a driver for the Devil's Delivery Services was robbed at gunpoint over the weekend. No further information regarding the incident was available as of Monday night.
Friday night close call
A recent graduate, who currently works in Durham and lives on Watts Street one block east of East Campus said he and a colleague were followed by a silver sport utility vehicle that matched the description of the vehicle involved in the Jan. 19 armed robbery of another Duke student, who is also a colleague of the recent graduate.
The graduate said he was walking from the West Village Apartments to Watts Street around 3:30 a.m. Saturday when he noticed the vehicle. When he and his friend turned to look at the SUV, the vehicle stopped, did a three-point turn and started to follow the alumnus and his colleague.
"As the car stopped, we turned and tried to run into one of the apartment buildings on Watts, but all the doors were closed," he said. "So we ducked in the bushes [and] waited there around 10 minutes."
When the two decided to run to their apartment building, they saw the same SUV at a stop sign near them.
"It swirled onto our side, which is the wrong side of the road, and stopped where we were," the recent graduate said. "We ran into the apartment and called 911."
The SUV then waited outside the building for approximately three to four minutes while the graduate was on the phone with the police. He noted that the police did not file a report and he has not heard back from them. He added that he was unable to see the car's license plate or the driver.
"It's kind of scary because now they know where I live," he said. The alumnus noted that being informed of the robbery last week helped him avoid an unfortunate incident.
"If I hadn't known from my team member that it was a silver SUV that mugged him, I probably would have just kept walking home and wouldn't have noticed," he said. "Communication is key."
University response
In light of the recent off-campus crimes, both DPD and the Duke University Police Department said in a Duke-issued statement that they are looking to increase patrols around campus.
"I don't think it's been unique to Duke students or to the Duke community," said Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs, noting that there has been a spike in crime in Durham and Chapel Hill.
He said the University is reviewing security measures both on and off campus and will be releasing further information in the coming days.
"[DUPD] is extremely concerned about the type and frequencies of crimes that the Duke community has experienced recently, and we will intensify our efforts to keep our students, faculty, staff, patients and guests safe," Aaron Graves, associate vice president for campus safety and security, said in a statement Sunday. "We will deploy existing resources to the best of our ability and add additional resources where necessary to accomplish this critical objective."
In an e-mail to the Duke community Monday night, President Richard Brodhead said administrators will also be meeting with local landlords to ensure increased security at off-campus apartments.
Management response
Trinity Properties, a company that manages off-campus apartments in which many Duke students live, said they are looking at new security plans at many of their locations.
"They're scared to death," Guy Solie, Trinity '67 and manager of Trinity Properties, said of the tenants. "We're scared too."
Solie manages both the Watts Street apartment building and The Anderson Apartments on Anderson Street, in which engineering graduate student Abhijit Mahato was murdered Friday.
He said because many of the properties are older and face public streets, they cannot be gated. Many require a pass code to get into the main gate, and the company is most likely going to change the pass codes to increase security, Solie said.
Another possible tactic is the installation of security cameras, he said, noting that it will increase rental fees.
"We can pick up the fee," Solie said. "But it's not a fool-proof plan. It might give people a false sense of security and cameras aren't that great."
He said he believes the best way to tackle these crimes is to make security a top priority on the city government's agenda.
"The bottom line is, we just have to improve security around campus," Solie said. "Durham needs to have enough police force where they can park a police car on some of these properties, and just leave it."
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