On Sunday, February 26, Georgetown students received email alerts from the Department of Public Safety regarding two crimes committed that day against students within blocks of the front gates: one sexual assault and one armed robbery. These reports are worrisome not only because the very occurrence of such crimes so close to campus is shocking, but also because the language employed in the reports perpetuates a blame-the-victim attitude with regard to sexual assault that is harmful and irresponsible.
It is clear that Georgetown students still have reason to feel unsafe in their own neighborhoods, and clearer from the DPS crime reports that they and the University do not feel responsible for the fates of students who, in their view, subject themselves to danger. The sexual assault crime report describes the incident with three short sentences, and then reminds students about the dangers of walking alone at night and the shuttle services that DPS provides. Though the armed robbery also occurred at night and three blocks further into the depths of West Georgetown, its report contained no such advice. The implication that the female student is to blame for this reprehensible crime because she did not take SafeRides to get a single block from the Lauinger steps is one that cannot be tolerated. This attitude is damaging to the psyches of the victims and contributes to the rampant under-reporting of sexual assaults that plagues college campuses.
In the unending battle that is the Campus Plan, the University has implemented an increased Metro police presence around campus. But these officers, as well as those employed by DPS, have devoted the majority of their time to petty operations, like breaking up parties that could bother the area’s residents. This is a clear example of the University prioritizing the demands of the neighbors and their insatiable desire for quiet over the safety of its students. Both violent crimes occurred well within areas patrolled by these officers, the sexual assault in East Campus itself, and could have been prevented if DPS expended more energy trying to protect students instead of targeting them.
That Georgetown students cannot feel safe around their own campus despite the high concentration of police on patrol is an outrage, and it shows how twisted the priorities of University officials have become. This weekend, their failings were on display with horrible consequences for students. This highlights the dire need for the University to put more resources toward preventing attacks and helping victims, instead of targeting normal student activity for the neighbors’ sake. It is imperative they get the message before another student is needlessly put in harm’s way.
