SMU Police Department Blog

March 20, 2008

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

A female student reported that she believed she had been drugged and assaulted by a male student in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) house around 2:00 a.m. She said the student put an unknown substance into her drink, took her to a storage area in the SAE house. She was able to get away from the man and call police.

The male student suspect has been identified and questioned, and SMU Police are further investigating the matter.

April 3, 2008

STUDENT ASSAULTED AT MOCKINGBIRD STATION

A female student told SMU police Wednesday that a man had attempted to abduct her at knifepoint at the Mockingbird DART Station about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

She said the suspect approached her and when she attempted to ignore him, he took out a pen knife, pressed it against her back, grabbed her arm, and told her to come with him. She broke free and fled, suffering a minor wound to her back.

The suspect is described as a tan white male wearing khaki shorts and a polo-style shirt. He has thick, reddish-brown hair and a thick red mustache that grows down both sides of his chin. He is about 40 years old, weighs about 260 pounds and is about 6 feet tall. He speaks with a southern accent.

The student said she first encountered the suspect a few days earlier at Stromboli???s Caf??, 6309 Hillcrest Ave., where he tried to talk to her and she ignored him.

Anyone with information concerning this crime is asked to contact the SMU Police Department at 214-SMU-3388 or go to http://www.smu.edu/2tip.

April 30, 2008

STUDENT ASSAULTED IN FONDREN LIBRARY

An SMU student reported being forcibly fondled by an unknown male at 8:45 p.m. April 29, 2008, on the second floor of Fondren Library.

The student was sitting at a cubicle on the second floor adjacent to the elevators when the suspect sat at the cubicle behind her and moved his chair close to hers. The student moved her chair closer to her desk. A few minutes later, she realized that the unknown male was touching the upper part of her left leg and buttocks with his left hand. She reported the incident to the first-floor circulation desk and the library security officer.

Another student was studying on the first floor at a table near the large northeast windows that face the east entrance near the reference desk. She described the same male suspect, who walked up to her and sat down on the floor behind her chair. She asked the unknown male why he was sitting behind her, and he did not respond. She reported the incident to the circulation desk.

Both students describe the suspect as a white male in his mid-50s with blondish-grey hair, wearing a button-up blue and white striped short sleeve shirt, blue jeans and a blue and white ball cap. The photo of the suspect at right was taken by a Fondren Library security camera.

April 30, 2008

FORMER STUDENT ROBBED NEAR THE PHOENIX APARTMENTS

A former SMU law student was robbed near the Phoenix Apartments in the Mockingbird Station area on April 28, 2008.

The former student had taken out his wallet to give money to a homeless man when the suspect grabbed the wallet and ran. The former student saw the suspect in the same area again on the night of April 29, 2008, and called the Dallas Police Department. Officers searched the area but did not find the suspect. The former student reported that the suspect has done the same thing to others in the area.

The former student describes the suspect as a black male about 25 years old and about 5 feet 10 inches tall, wearing a brown shirt and a backpack.

September 1, 2008

STUDENT REPORTS ASSAULT

On August 30, 2008, a female student informed SMU Police officers that on August 21, a non-affiliated male individual who is known to her, assaulted her in her University residence hall room.

The student stated that the subject came to her residence hall unannounced and that she escorted him inside her room where he attempted to sexually assault her. The student resisted and ultimately freed herself. The subject left the hall and has had no further contact with the victim.

The suspect is described as an Asian male, between the ages of 50 and 60 years. No other information on the suspect is available at this time.

Anyone with information concerning this crime is asked to contact the SMU Police Department at 214-SMU-3388 or go to http://www.smu.edu/2tip.

Sept. 15, 2008

BURGLARY AT FRATERNITY HOUSES

Over the past few days, two separate fraternity houses have reported thefts from rooms within the houses. In each case, the rooms were left unlocked while the occupants attended off-campus events.

There are no descriptions of possible suspects. If you have seen any suspicious activity in the vicinity of fraternity houses, located on the east side of campus, please contact SMU police at 214-768-3333.

Sept. 29, 2008

SUSPECTS SOUGHT IN ROBBERY AND BURGLARIES

Police are seeking the public???s help in identifying suspects involved in burglaries and
a robbery near the SMU campus.

Two men allegedly took cigarettes from a 7-Eleven store at 5220 E. Mockingbird
Lane about 2:45 a.m. Monday, Sept. 29, while the clerk was checking something in
the store???s refrigerator.

The clerk described one of the suspects as a black male about 40 years old, 6 feet
tall, weighing 190 pounds and wearing a red shirt. He said the second suspect also
was a black male about 40 years old, 6 feet tall, weighing 190 pounds with a
medium-colored complexion and wearing a red cap, gray shirt and denim blue jean
shorts. The clerk said the second suspect appeared to be carrying a weapon.

The two men were last seen getting into a 1980s model, aqua-colored Ford Taurus.

Police also are looking for suspects who broke into offices in the Expressway Towers
at 6116 N. Central Expressway between 5 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m. Monday.
Although the burglars forced open office doors, desks and file cabinets in SMU???s
offices on the second floor, nothing was taken. Other offices in the building also
were broken into.

Anyone with information about either of these crimes is asked to contact the SMU
Police Department at 214-7668-3333 or by e-mail at police@smu.edu.

October 17, 2008

STUDENT REPORTS SEXUAL ASSAULT

A female SMU student told police Thursday, Oct. 16, that she was sexually assaulted in a fraternity house at 3022 SMU Blvd. between 11 p.m. and midnight Wednesday, Oct. 15, by an acquaintance.

The student said she was at the fraternity house with a group of other students participating in a drinking game and that she and a male student went to his room,
where she said he assaulted her.

The alleged assault is under investigation by the SMU Police Department.

Anyone with information about this matter is asked to contact the SMU Police
Department at 214-768-3388. Information also may be reported anonymously
through the Silent Witness Program by calling 214-SMU-2TIP or online at
http://www.smu.edu/2tip

October 21, 2008

Burglary of SMU Facility

A University-owned building at 5538 Dyer Street east of North Central Expressway was burglarized late Monday and computer equipment taken.

The building is used by engineering students. Security cameras show that two white males wearing baseball caps, hooded sweatshirts and light-colored clothing forced their way into the building about 11:35 p.m. They left the building a few minutes later, got into a dark-colored car and fled eastbound on Dyer.

If you have any information or have seen any suspicious activity in the vicinity of this building, please contact SMU police at 214-768-3333. Information also may be reported anonymously through the Silent Witness Program by calling 214-SMU-2TIP or online at http://www.smu.edu/2tip.

When you leave your office or residence:
- Never leave doors or windows unlocked.
- Never disable or circumvent security systems.
- If a door lock is not working properly, contact your House Mother, Residence Assistant, Hall Director, or Building Manager to get it fixed.
- If you observe a suspicious or unknown person in or near your office or residence, call police immediately with as detailed a description as possible. Any delay in calling police makes it more difficult for them to apprehend suspects.
- Never let someone you do not know into your house or residence hall. If they say they are visiting someone, tell them to call that person to escort them.
- Keep serial numbers and descriptions of all valuables in a safe place. This will assist in recovering your items should they be stolen.

* Avoid secluded places (this may even mean your room or your partner's) until you trust your partner.

* Don't spend time alone with someone who makes you feel uneasy or uncomfortable. This means following your instincts and removing yourself from situations that you don't feel good about.

* Stay sober and aware. If you're with someone you don't know very well, be aware of what's going on around you and try to stay in control. Also, be aware of your date's ability to consent to sexual activity ??? you may become guilty of committing rape if the other person is not in a condition to respond or react.

* Know what you want. Be clear about what kind of relationship you want with another person. If you are not sure, then ask the other person to respect your feelings and to give you time. Don't allow yourself to be subject to peer pressure or encouraged to do something that you don't want to do.

* Take self-defense courses. These can build confidence and teach valuable physical techniques a person can use to get away from an attacker.

The SMU Police Department is excited to announce the new and improved website.

The new page features include:

* Home page hightlights section that showcases a variety of features including police biographies, SMU Police Department programs and SMU Police Department news.

* SMU Police Department Blog with RSS feed subscription capabilities. The blog will have campus crime alerts, SMU Police Department news and safety tips.

* Improved website appearance allowing you to find the information you need quickly and easily.