On Thursday, November 14, Boston University students were sent a message from the BU Emergency Alert system, a name the community is all-too familiar with this semester. This time, it was a “BU Police Community Alert,” stating that the Boston Police are investigating five assaults that have occurred in the Ashford Street area of Allston. In the past six weeks, five female victims have been pushed to the ground, their skirts are lifted and a photograph is taken with what appears to be a camera phone. In the alert, the suspect is described as a “white or light-skinned Hispanic male between the ages of 19 and 30, with an average build and dark clothing.”
The alert was followed by standard words of advice – avoid walking alone at night, travel with friends, be aware of your surroundings, walk in well-lit and well-populated areas, carry a cell phone, call BUPD about any suspicious activity.
Many BU students are dissatisfied with BUPD’s delay in response to the incidents. Although the victims were not specified as BU students, the attacks have occurred in an area largely filled with BU students’ off-campus apartments.
As the BUPD web site states, the “Boston University police officers are empowered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to enforce criminal law and to make arrests not only on the campus grounds but also in the area surrounding the University.” Just a half mile from Agganis Arena, Ashford Street qualifies as the area under BUPD’s responsibility.
Karla Caraballo-Torres, a BU senior, often walks through the area after class at night. “I’m upset that this is the first I’m hearing about it from BU after 5 attacks,” she says, “I always try to be careful nonetheless, but if I’d known about the attacks sooner I probably wouldn’t have braved the street on my own as much.” Other BU students commented on the BU and BUPD postings Facebook about the incidents, asking for sooner notifications for assaults.
In light of the robberies earlier this semester by repeat-offenders, many BU students more mindful of crime as ever. The string of alerts concerning those robberies led the BU student body to believe that notifications would be sent for any kind of assault in BU’s general area. This new repeat-offender on Ashford Street is no less concerning than the robberies. With many of Boston University’s 16,000 undergraduates walking the streets of Allston daily, it is surprising that students have learned about this six weeks after the initial attack.
The BU Community Alert made it clear that the issue was being investigated by the Boston Police Department, and the BUPD was simply passing along the message. Neither BU Today nor the Boston University Facebook and Twitter pages have reported on the assaults, and no more updates by BUPD have been given at this time.
BUPD asks that anyone with information call the Boston Police District 14 Detectives at 617-343-4256 or the BU Police Detectives at 617-353-3436.
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