The Department of Campus Safety (DCS) is increasing patrols near the intersection of South High Street and East Wesley Avenue as a result of the most recent in a string of attacks against female students that occurred Thursday, Oct. 27.
“In light of the incidents that have happened, there is a high-alertness among our patrols,” said Tyrone Mills, associate director of DCS. “We keep an eye out and watch for anything suspicious.”
The increased patrols come after the third incident of sexual assault near the DU campus. The first attack occurred Aug. 27 and another attack occurred Sept. 26. In all three incidents, female students were walking on or near South High Street and University Boulevard when an unknown man allegedly came up behind them and groped, or attempted to grope, their buttocks.
In the most recent incident, DCS sent out a crime alert on Friday, Oct. 28, to the campus that said the suspect grabbed the female around the waist area and attempted to reach up her skirt. The victim freed herself and the man ran off. The suspect is described as a white or Hispanic male with a thin-to-medium build, 5-foot-7-9 inches tall with short, possibly curly hair.
In prior incidents, the suspect was described similarly, between the ages of 25 and 29, weighing about 160 pounds with a buzz-cut hairstyle and glasses.
Despite the differences in hair, Mills said DCS suspects it is the same man because the descriptions are so similar and the man’s M.O. is the same.
“He has done basically the same thing,” said Mills. “He sneaks up behind someone as they’re walking and grabs them.”
The Denver Police Department (DPD) is pursuing the case as an active, ongoing investigation.
Patrols are done by motor vehicle, bike or by foot. On average, three DCS officers work the night shift on campus. The officers on patrol typically check that buildings are secure, especially from 4:30-11 p.m., drive through parking lots and drive down the city streets surrounding campus. DCS does not have jurisdiction over the city streets, but, according to Mills, DCS officers report anything suspicious to the DPD.
“We’re working very closely with [DPD],” said Mills. “They of course will have the total responsibility for the investigation because every incident has happened near the campus but not on the campus.”
Mills also said the suspect appears to be escalating in terms of his aggression toward the female victims.
“He did actually grab this person around the waste, which is different then what he’d done with the other two,” he said.
Lynett Henderson Metzger, a psychologist and clinical assistant professor in DU’s Professional Graduate School of Psychology, teaches in the school’s Forensic Psychology Program, which places an emphasis on recognizing, understanding, preventing and treating violence and trauma. She said people who engage in certain types of violence and aggression generally increase their aggression over time.
There is “a process of desensitization and dehumanization in which someone contemplating hurting another human being increases his or her comfort level with the act by mental and physical ‘practice runs,'” she said. “The motivating factors and specifics can vary widely based on the category of violence at issue, but we would be wise to always exercise caution and remain vigilant.”
Mills said DCS’s biggest concern is that students continue to walk by themselves, putting them at risk.
“Situations like this where it’s been actually talked about on the news but we still have people doing the same thing,” he said. “We really need for students – especially female students – to not only walk together, but to be more aware.”
Mills said the more students are aware, the more they know about what is going on around them, the better they will be able to prepare themselves.
“When you’re aware, you’re going to be able to hear things or see things you might not have noticed before,” he said.
Metzger also said it’s important for students to be alert.
“Use your eyes and ears, which includes avoiding distractions such as texting while walking or using headphones that do not allow you to hear what is going on in your surroundings,” she said.
If a student finds herself in a situation where she’s being attacked, Mills said the important thing is to get away to a safe area.
“Always have some ‘what-ifs’ in the back of your mind,” said Mills. “Those ‘what-ifs’ can help protect you and help you be prepared if you’ve already thought out what you’re going to do in a given situation.”
If attacked, Metzger said she encourages students to contact the Rape Assistance and Awareness Program (RAAP) at 303-322-7273 for counseling.
DCS also offers Rape Aggression Defense (R.A.D.) classes two times per quarter. Mills said he expected that, in light of the publicity the attacks had received, there would be more inquiries about the classes. However, so far only one person has called.
“We don’t want to see these things happen,” said Mills. “At the same time we have people trained as instructors to help especially our female students to protect themselves in case they get into a situation.”
R.A.D. classes require 12 hours of commitment. Nationally certified instructors teach students how to handle themselves if they are attacked for a $25 fee.
