Violence on Campus

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by Katrina L. Crawford

ithin minutes, a person can become a victim. Ask any of the victims in the rash of break-ins which occurred near campus in the fall. From Sept. 5 to Oct. 30, students reacted with fear and frustration to each new report of a break-in. In all, more than 11 reported break-ins and five additional ones took place throughout the local community in the areas directly surrounding campus. Police were unable to apprehend the culprit who was charged with offenses including robbery and rape during the break-ins, so school officials publicly cautioned students to take special precautions during those months. "We had a policeman look over our house to make sure we would be OK," said senior Tiffany Stonebraker, whose house was broken into between Dec. 23 and Dec. 25. "We were probably safe from the rapist, but we weren't safe from whoever wanted in our house. They broke one window, came in another and left out the front door." Many students were very careful about always locking doors and leaving extra lights on, and most adjusted their walking patterns through and around campus to avoid dimly-lit areas. Others tried to stay in pairs while moving through the community after sunset. After senior Shannon Placek's apartment was robbed, she and her roommates were especially cautious. "We lock our door constantly now," she said. "Before, we would leave our door open if we were just running down the complex or we'd leave it open in nice weather. Now, it's always locked." Stonebraker also learned the hard way, but finally changed her habits for her safety. "The door is always locked, a light is always on. My roommates are still nervous—one has an electric shocker next to her bed and the other has a can of pepper spray and a crowbar close by," she said. Dianne Ledger, assistant to the Dean of the Office for Women's Affairs, was one official who encouraged students to take extra safety precautions. "[I advised students to] ... not be afraid—just pay more attention to everything around you and be more diligent [in taking safety precautions]," she said. Richard McKaig, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Dean of Students, while also warning students of the danger, tried to dissuade alarm. He said fear was a normal reaction to unsettling news, but students should not allow it to become counterproductive. He emphasized the need for safety precautions, but said students could help themselves out even more by being aware of what was going on around them. "This is an contin ued

Fear

evolving story and people need to keep informed," he said. McKaig agreed with many students that break-ins made individuals feel like they could not go out by themselves at night. "There's a fine line between being cautious and ... feeling like you can't even go out anymore," he said. Unfortunately, the frequency and number of the break-ins caused many students to become more concerned about when the next break-in might occur rather than focusing on their regular daily tasks, McKaig said. Placek said she felt the impact. "I have a new outlook against people," she said. "I look at people differently, like [anyone I don't know] could have been the one [who broke into our apartment]."

Many of the fall break-ins included robberies and sexual assaults against women. The IU Office of Women's

Affairs urged women to take extreme safety precautions when moving about campus at night. Both the IU and the Bloomington Police also encouraged students to make sure all of their windows and doors were

locked at night.

Far Right: Several IU groups responded to the fall safety scare by installing new emergency phones across campus. Each was directly connected to the IU Police

Department and flashed a spinning blue light when activated. Photo by Matt McClain. Many groups, including the IU Commission on Personal Safety, put flyers together which detailed safety tips for students when word of the break-ins spread. Several landlords and apartment complex managers did the same— some even hosted police officers who were willing to speak with students about such dangers. On campus, the Safety Escort Service of the IU Student Association urged students who did not feel safe walking home at night to call their hotline and receive a free ride home. Lisa Carter, director of the program, said more students did take advantage of the Escort Service while the break-ins were occurring.

Photo Illustration by Leanne Maxwell

October 31, student fears finally subsided. Twentyone-year-old Douglas D. Castro of Bloomington confessed to seven of the reported break-ins. He also admitted to five others that had not been reported to the police. Castro was arrested and due for a jury trial in August 1996. Before Castro's confession, a special detail of four to six officers tried to solve the series of burglaries, said Bloomington police Sgt. Mike Diekhoff. After Castro's arrest and confession, four additional break-ins remained unsolved. Diekhoff said he thought they were unrelated. The break-ins Castro confessed to which the police were aware of included several apartment complexes: Brownstone Apartments, Bart Villa Apartments, Jackson Heights, Timber Ridge (2), Fountain Park Apartments and 323 E. Cottage Grove Ave. Castro also confessed to break-ins at East Atwater Street, the 600-block of North Dunn Street, the 500-block of North Prow Street and Union Square on East 10th Street. These had not been reported to police. Some students were still not satisfied with the level of safety around campus. "On campus, more can always been done. I think the University does as little as possible to keep people happy," Placek said. "But women have raised awareness. [The administration] is becoming more aware."