In response to recent robberies of students on LaSalle Street, Duke and Durham police departments are taking collaborative measures to improve off-campus safety.
To address safety concerns, Chief John Dailey of the Duke University Police Department hosted a meeting Friday with the Durham Police Department and University officials. DPD is immediately increasing patrols of LaSalle Street and assessing the area’s lighting to potentially increase visibility. The University is also extending evening operating hours of the LaSalle Street bus by two hours. Under the new plan, the bus will run until 11 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Meeting attendees included DPD Chief Jose Lopez, the DPD commanding officer of LaSalle Street and senior University officials.
“The fact that [Chief Lopez] came to campus to meet with us really speaks highly of his commitment and the city of Durham’s commitment... in trying to help with these matters,” Dailey said. “Patrols will be [on LaSalle Street] more frequently, do more license checks in the area... and that was done this weekend.”
Dailey said license checks involve stopping cars more frequently to check the validity of driver’s licenses and registrations.
DPD officials were not available for comment Sunday.
Although the increased number of patrols comes in response to two separate robberies on LaSalle Street reported last week, Dailey called the incidents “crimes of opportunity” and believes that students were not specifically targeted in either case.
At about 9:25 a.m. Oct. 13. a female student was approached by a woman on LaSalle Street who asked to use her cell phone. After the student gave the woman her phone, the woman pushed the student to the ground and stole her backpack. The suspect was described as a black female wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with a pink vertical stripe.
The following day, a male graduate student was robbed at about 10 p.m. “very close” to the location of last Wednesday’s robbery, Dailey said in an interview Thursday. The student was not seriously injured and only his cell phone was stolen. The perpetrator was described as a black, 5-foot-8-inch male in his 20s with medium skin tone. At the time of the crime, he was wearing a red and white hooded sweatshirt, Dailey added.
Another student was robbed Oct. 9 on East Campus near Jarvis Dormitory shortly after 2 a.m. A stocky Hispanic male approached the female student, said he had a gun and demanded her purse. The student was able to escape the scene unharmed, and none of her property was taken.
As of Sunday night, police had not identified any suspects associated with the crimes. Dailey said it is unlikely that any of the robberies are connected, given the varied descriptions of the suspects.
A DukeAlert was sent to the Duke community in response to the Oct. 9 incident but not for either LaSalle Street robberies because the crimes occurred off campus. Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta notified students of both LaSalle Street robberies in separate e-mails following the individual incidents. The e-mails advised students to be aware of their surroundings and take safety precautions. The e-mails also directed students to DUPD’s website for safety tips.
“It’s relatively common that at the start of the year we have a couple of circumstances like this,” Moneta said. “There’s a tendency for some criminals who think young students are easy targets to do just this kind of thing.... It tends not to last very long.”
Moneta added that the Duke and Durham police departments meet regularly to ensure safety in the Duke area regardless of an increased number of incidents.
“It’s not simply these two incidents that have brought these two [departments] together,” he said. “Students should feel good about the fact that Duke and Durham police work really well together and continue to do so.”
Senior Angela Cai, who lives in the Belmont Apartments located near LaSalle Street, said the robberies have increased her awareness of personal safety, but she added that the events will not have serious implications for her habits.
“I think that the only thing I can really do is be more aware of my surroundings,” Cai said. “I don’t feel incredibly unsafe in the area.... It’s just using good judgement and trying to be aware of my surroundings and avoid walking in the dark, which I would do almost anywhere.”
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