Despite multiple robberies and muggings in the downtown Madison area over the past few months, the Nov. 3 Langdon Street incident was the first to gain a vocal response from the University of Wisconsin campus.
Greek adviser Barb Kautz and the Interfraternity Council organized a safety forum Tuesday where Langdon-area residents talked to UW and police officials regarding the incidents.
“Why the recent mugging on Langdon was given so much attention, I’m not entirely sure,” said Ald. Eli Judge, District 8. “But this is certainly a step to stop crimes before they spike out of control.”
Dean of Students Lori Berquam, who participated in the Tuesday forum supported the need to sit down and talk about safety.
“The reality is it’s bringing to the forefront this particular issue and continuing to talk about it,” Berquam said.
The main subject of the forum regarded a UW junior who was held at gunpoint outside the Kappa Alpha Theta house by two men while exiting her car late Nov. 3. However, a majority of the recent crimes have taken place in the proximity of Regent, Park and Mills streets.
Associated Students of Madison Chair Brittany Wiegand, who also serves as the president of Kappa Alpha Theta, said she was also confused by the lack attention to the other recent crimes across campus.
“At least for me, it was because the woman wasn’t engaging in any risky behavior,” Wiegand said. “I can’t say exactly why a lot more people were talking about this one than other ones.”
In response to the recent incident, Berquam said the UW Police Department plans to initiate focused area patrol, particularly in areas that have suffered from recent robberies and burglaries.
Adding more blue light boxes around campus, having UW security inspect current UW facilities, increasing lighting and getting students to volunteer for neighborhood watches were suggestions brought up at the forum to help improve safety downtown.
“There will be a continual process of additional patrol,” Berquam said.
While other measures are implemented, the Greek system continues to run its neighborhood watch during the weekends.
“Every weekend night we have a group of students volunteer to walk up and down Langdon Street with (MPD) Officer (Rene) Gonzalez,” IFC spokesperson Sam Lake said. “We make sure everything and everyone is safe on Langdon Street.”
The Greek System Watch Program, which was implemented on Langdon Street, is solely utilized on weekends.
But the bulk of recent robberies and muggings have occurred on weekdays, where victims walking alone have been targeted.
“When it comes to different programs being instituted, especially new ones, the approaches we are taking in certain areas need to be brought to other areas,” Judge said.
Wiegand said ASM plans to reinstate a neighborhood watch system on Spring, College and West Washington streets.
“We have created a new position called the campus safety initiative coordinator who will be co-chairing on a committee with the Dean of Students and the Campus Safety Task Force,” Wiegand said.
The coordinator, who will be chosen next week, will brainstorm new ideas to keep the UW campus and surrounding areas safe and will implement those safety procedures.
