West Chester students get safety alerts on area crime

West Chester University has released seven alerts in the past month warning students about recent crimes committed on or near the school's campus.

The crimes include two rapes that took place inside campus dormitories on April 18 and April 26. Off-campus, students reported an indecent exposure incident, a knife attack, four burglaries and an attempted sexual assault.

The university also issued a safety alert about an unidentified male with a firearm that police on the scene suggested was a pellet gun, according to the alert.

Pam Sheridan, director of public relations for the school, said officials have been releasing the alerts since January, to keep students and faculty informed.

"When we issue these safety alerts, it's about not only making sure that we get information out, but also that we get the correct information out," Sheridan said. "Every time we issue one of these, they remind people in the campus community what they can do to take precautions and take responsibility for their own safety as well."

Alerts are sent to students' unversity e-mail addresses and are posted throughout university buildings.

Senior Gabby Schultz, who lives in the University Hall dormitory on campus, said she thinks the alerts keep students aware of the real situation on-campus and in the surrounding community.

"I think it's nice that they keep us informed, compared to where we are living in some make believe world where we think nothing happens," Schultz said.

"We issue safety alerts routinely as incidents have been reported to us by students," Sheridan said. "Of course, if it was on the level of something like an active shooter, that would be handled differently. That is an emergency alert."

Sheridan said emergency alerts are intended for more dangerous, immediate events like last year's campus attack at Virginia Tech University.

Sonya Kozak, a senior who lives off-campus at The West Chester Commons on Rosedale Avenue at Franklin Street, said she has felt less safe on campus since a series of burglaries earlier this semester.

"I stopped going to the library at night," Kozak said. "I used to listen to my iPod and stuff when I walked to class. The only thing I bring with me now is my cell phone and a few dollars for coffee. I don't carry anything that I would care if it gets stolen."

Kozak added that the alerts keep students up-to-date now, but she remembers a time when the university didn't release security alerts.

"It's like, was there stuff going on before and you just weren't telling us about it?" *