Monday August 18 at 12:38 am there was a UW Alert sent to all registered users in regards to a break in at a UW apartment. The UWPD dispatch was called and on the scene, however, the suspect had already left the area.
The UW Alert came as a text message and read “UW apartment break-in. Suspect white male, around 40, 5-foot-9, heavy build, dirty blonde hair, dark shirt, trucker hat. Call UWPD 766-5179 with info.”
UWPD Chief Michael Samp said the case is under investigation and there are a couple persons of interest who may have been the perpetrator. Samp said further details would be shared when the investigation is concluded.
According to the UWPD Daily Activities Report, the location of the break in was the River Village apartments.
The UW Alert system has been used a number of times since it was created in 2007 said Samp. It is used based on the severity of the incident and it has been successful in previous situations in providing information on weather emergencies or criminal activity to the registered users.
“Administrators of the system attempt to be judicious in the use of the system and limit those messages to true emergencies,” said Samp.
The registered users include a total number of about 15,000 students, faculty and staff. Samp said the community is encouraged to make sure they are a part of those registered users through a link provided on the UWPD website.
Luke Wiedeman, a junior studying Environmental System Sciences with a specialty in GIS and Remote Sensing, lives in the Bison Run apartments. He received the alert but he was fairly calm in regards to someone breaking into another’s UW apartment.
Wiedeman’s reaction was “that happened, let’s just get on with our lives.” He said that stuff happens in life and it is just a part of our experiences but that we should not dwell on it for too long.
If a criminal entry were to happen to Wiedeman, he said he would most likely freak out but then “get a grip” and call the Resident Assistant (RA) or the UWPD and try to preserve the crime scene.
“I don’t mean to be naive but it’s gonna happen sooner rather than later and I believe it’s just an experience in life that needs to happen at some point,” said Wiedeman.
Samp said the average response time for UWPD to report to a scene on campus is approximately 2 minutes. It is “extremely rare” for burglaries or other types of criminal entries to occur on campus, said Samp. There was only one reported in 2019.
The dorms are secured 24 hours a day with card swipe access and security cameras to help prevent such instances. MacIntyre specifically has a 24 hour front desk to help in time of need. Each room is also restricted with card swipe access and Samp said residents are “encouraged to not share access to the spaces or facilities.”
Samp said the current fall plan for the dorms is for each floor to have an RA and the UWPD will assist in surveying the facilities and grounds on a regular basis. They will also provide emergency response capabilities and a direct connection to Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
“The most important aspect of the residence hall complex is the sense of community that the Division of Student Affairs creates in those spaces, making sure that all residents have a sense of belonging and responsibility to their fellow students when it comes to safety,” said Samp. “The entire campus is encouraged to follow the motto “if you see something, say something.” The more we are able to get the campus community engaged, the safer it is for everyone,” said Samp.
The apartments also have individual access control and professional staff similar to the dorms. The design of the buildings are also in favor or safety in regards to the increased lighting, proper building spacing, reduced landscaping and wide sidewalks said Samp.
“There is a chance that something like a burglary or something like that might happen but I trust the police to keep our community safe and deal with times like this accordingly,” said Wiedeman.
