Recent Assault Causes Re-evaluation of Campus Safety

By Justine Figueroa on September 23, 2012

Late Wednesday evening, I received an email from the USF Police Department Public Information Office. The email stated that earlier that evening, a student reported that “an unknown male sexually assaulted her in her dorm room.” The incident is said to have occurred in Kappa Hall, a residence hall housing about 250 students, most of them being freshman.

 

Although the suspect has yet to be found, local media outlets have already begun to call into question how safe campus life really is.  Everyone who lives or has lived on campus is aware that students are required to swipe their IDs at the door before they will be able to get inside, but we’ve also all held the door open for others out of courtesy. How do can we distinguish a student from a criminal when we live in a building with 250 other people who are all on different schedules, who we may never meet or even see for that matter?

Unlike students who live off campus or commute, I received the email because I currently live on campus. Although I don’t live in Kappa Hall, I did when I was a freshman. As a result of the fact that so many people live in each suite, residents leave their doors unlocked all the time. When I lived there, it wasn’t unusual for my roommates and I to just assume that someone else would lock the door.  There are no areas to hang out on each floor, so the suspect could have easily made his way into anyone’s room, since the only reason to be out in the hallway is when you’re leaving or going back to your room.

Realistically, it’s illogical to assume that there is something that students can do in that particular area to be safer. There is as much security in place as there can be and there really is no way to be “more careful,” as some reports are suggesting.

There is something to be said for the prompt action taken by USFPD.  With only two hours between the time of the attack and the time that the community notice was sent, it’s clear that the police department wants students to be aware of what is going on around them, rather than sweeping it under the rug in fear of bad publicity. All of that is really just a testament to the victim for speaking up so quickly. During a time when, 95% of campus rapes go unreported, I’m glad that she did.

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