A group of juveniles robbed four University of Wisconsin freshmen on Madison's west side Friday evening, adding to the string of local crimes that have occurred this year.

The students, all male, took a bus from the UW campus to Verona Road and walked to the nearby movie theater in Fitchburg, according to a Madison Police Department release. Upon their return to Verona Road around 11 p.m., a group of six to seven juveniles between the ages of 13 and 15 allegedly attacked the UW students on the 2000 block of Allied Drive.

"The group of juveniles made contact with [the students] and then attacked two of them by punching," MPD Lt. Pat Malloy said in the release. "One of the students reported that his wallet was stolen in the incident."

None of the students were seriously harmed in the encounter, and officials at MPD reported no additional information was available as of press time.

George Twigg, spokesperson for Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, said the area the UW students were robbed in is known throughout the city for its instability and high crime. Public safety issues in the Allied Drive neighborhood have resulted in increased police coverage in the area, as well as several city programs to mentor students in the area, Twigg added.

"Allied Drive is probably the most challenged neighborhood in Madison," Twigg said. "We've been wrestling with public safety issues there, and we're continuing efforts."

Twigg also said the city is working to reform the area with a housing initiative known as The Allied Drive Plan. The city has spent more than $4 million on the project to purchase more housing, Twigg added.

One of the biggest issues that causes many of the public safety problems on Allied Drive is the high turnover in the area, Twigg said. The Allied Drive Plan will not only bring housing up to a "higher level," Twigg added, but it will also work for owner-occupied housing to discourage primarily rental communities.

"In terms of public safety … the police spend the lion's share of resources in that district," Twigg said. "There's a lot of officers down there; we certainly do as much as we can on the police side there, but it continues to be a challenge."