"We have to do something different to make this a safer place," UMass Police Chief Barbara O'Connor told the Daily Hampshire Gazette on Friday.
According to the public safety alert issued by the UMass Police Department on Sept. 16, a female student was sexually assaulted that day at approximately 4:30 a.m. while she was in a first-floor bathroom of Chadbourne Dormitory. The attacker grabbed the woman from behind and sexually assaulted her. The victim was ultimately able to escape to her room, where she reported the incident to University Police. She was treated and released from health services.
The victim described the assailant as a "tall, very thin white male dressed in black clothes with a black ski mask," according to the alert. The case remains under active investigation by the UMass Police Department. "We continue to look, but we haven't had anything so far," said Lt. Robert Thrasher.
The second incident occurred on Sept. 22 at approximately 1:30 a.m. when two men entered a seventh floor room in UMass' Coolidge Dormitory. According to the public safety alert, one of the assailants pointed a gun at a student and demanded that he turn over his valuables. The student reportedly handed over approximately $75 in cash, and the two men left the room.
After the robbery, the victim, Dustin Gaunt, 19, went to the fourth floor and called police at 1:36 a.m. After interviewing Gaunt and investigating his room, the police arrested the victim and charged him with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and also possession of alcohol while under legal age.
This was the sixth instance of drug-related armed robbery on the UMass campus since February.
The University Police Department has described the robbery suspects as 19 to 21 year old Hispanic males. The suspect with the handgun is described as 5'8", 165 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. The other assailant is said to be 5'11", 175 pounds, black hair, brown eyes and a darker complexion.
These events have caused concern among students at the University. Sophomore Jessica Vallely, who lives in Coolidge, told the Daily Hampshire Gazette that "see[ing] the sketches of these guys makes me feel unsafe."
Other students are not as alarmed. "People do talk about it, but I don't think people feel threatened by it," said senior Lydia Robinson.
The Amherst College Campus Police Department has been in contact with the UMass Police. "The likelihood that either of those events are relevant to Amherst College are slight," said Campus Police Chief John Carter. "However, since there is always potential for a person to travel from UMass to Amherst College given the proximity, the sexual assault seems more imperative to notify our community of."
Campus Police has sent the UMass public safety alert to all resident counselors (RCs).
"I don't think people are particularly upset about it," said Stone Dormitory RC Courtney Dowd '04. "But it is a bit of a wake-up call and I'm sure people will be exercising a little more caution."
Carter stressed the importance of locking room doors, not circumventing security devices, and not allowing unknown people to "tailgate" into buildings at code access doors.