The Rock Island Police Department and Public Safety at Augustana have increased patrols on campus in response to a late-August physical assault on a student.
This increase of patrols includes marked and unmarked units of Public Safety officers as well the student core that mans positions for various residential halls.
Public Safety has also received more training on how to prevent and respond to certain situations as a result of the recent incident.
“When you have an incident such as last Friday’s, that hits the core of the college”, said Mark Beckwith, Assistant Chief of Public Safety. “There has been the enhancement of extra patrols on campus.”
The incident was reported happening at 7:45 a.m. on Aug. 23 while the victim was jogging west on 14th Avenue.
Augustana has a partnership with the RIPD, so on certain days there are police officers patrolling the campus. “We’re fortunate in that sense, of having such a presence of law enforce”, said Mark Beckwith.
The RIPD are a way to expand the security force to off campus areas.“They’re really a way that we can expand our security force very quickly to handle any kind of safety issue,” said Dean and Vice President of Student Services Evelyn Campbell.
The internal communications within the college have been nonstop since the recent assault so that faculty can be aware of the incident and help prevent similar situations from happening in the future. The administration was made aware of the situation to keep extra eyes out along with the police and public safety.
“That focus on awareness, particularly these first few weeks is what’s really important,” said Dean Campbell.
It’s important for students to remember and be aware that assaults can happen at any time.
Public Safety and the RIPD strongly encourage students to call 911 immediately if there has been an attack. Students can also call Public Safety or the Dean of Safety if there has been an assault. The sooner students notify authorities of an incident, the quicker they can get to the area and locate an individual.
To prevent incidents such as the most recent assault, Augustana advises students to walk or run in pairs, be aware of surroundings, wear only one ear bud when listening to music, always carry a phone and have a plan of escape if something unexpected occurs.