Oct. 18 crime alert
Over fall break, on Thursday, Oct. 18, the Vassar community received a crime alert from Safety and Security Sergeant Heidi Hunsberger stating that a student had been chased by five to six individuals from the Rugby Field to South Lot. According to the email, the individuals used “sexually threatening language” to intimidate the student (Heidi Hunsberger, “Crime Alert,” 10.18.2018). This email was the second of two Safety and Security crime alerts during fall break, the first having been sent out on Wednesday, Oct. 17.
The alert further identified the perpetrators of the incident as males between the ages of 18 and 22, all wearing athletic clothing. The email detailed that one was wearing long athletic pants with three white stripes running down the length. The student described all of the individuals, who had last been seen near Sunset Lake, as having a medium to dark complexion.
In a statement on Oct. 23, the College revealed that Safety and Security has been working with the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department to investigate the incident. The College further stated, “The investigation is ongoing so we are not able to provide many details at this time. We can confirm that we have identified the individuals believed to have been involved and authorities do not believe that a continuing threat to our community exists at this time.”
The statement reiterated Safety and Security’s general safety advice for all students, including remaining aware of your surroundings, traveling in groups, utilizing the campus shuttle and blue lights, not admitting unknown individuals into restricted buildings and locking doors and windows both when home and away.