<p>Last week, a student was held up at gunpoint and robbed of his wallet and ipod in the middle of the day on campus. Then this letter went out on Dec.1.</p>
<p>Members of the University Community:</p>
<p>At approximately 3:00 a.m. yesterday morning, between 53rd and 54th
Street on Woodlawn Avenue, a University of Chicago student was stabbed
during an attempted robbery. He was taken to the hospital and is
expected to make a full recovery.</p>
<p>The Chicago Police Department is investigating the incident with the
help of the University of Chicago Police department. In response, we
have assigned additional officers to the area in marked and unmarked
cars. These officers will join the additional four extra patrol cars
serving the areas of the neighborhood close to the University that were
dispatched in June. The city police have also increased patrols to the
area.</p>
<p>This is a very serious incident that highlights the need to continue
enhancing our efforts to increase safety for all of those who study,
work, visit, and live in the area. Recent efforts to reduce crime in
the area have proven effective and data show a significant decrease in
crime, but we realize we must do more to improve the security of our
neighborhood.</p>
<p>We are also working with the University of Chicago Police, the Dean of
Students Office, and all of the University's leadership to ensure
appropriate resources are provided to support individuals who
experience acts of crime or violence.</p>
<p>I encourage members of the community to be aware of their surroundings
and call 911 or 773-702-8181 if you notice anything suspicious.........etc. etc.</p>
<p>I agree, 3:00 a.m is dumb. But still, he was not just robbed, but stabbed. The daytime gun-point incident happened to a friend !!!!! I have not seen it reported though. When we visited in October there was a BB-gun incident and the cops were swarming the area. That was Halloween evening. Ugggh.</p>
[/quote]
There's a listhost that reports all crime incidents so probably reported this one. I guess the stabbing was widely reported since walking around alone at 3 AM can be avoided more easily than walking on campus during the day.</p>
<p>All Illinois residents who buy or possess firearms are required by law to have a valid FOID (Firearm Owner's ID) card. FOID applications can be obtained from any firearm's dealer, law enforcement agency, or printed from the Internet. </p>
<p>Obviously the thugs are not carrying registered weapons. There are approx. 1.2 million FOID card-holders in IL. Even an 18-year-old can apply for it with parental approval. And any 21 can apply. About 4000 get denied each year, and 6000 get revoked.</p>
<p>Woodlawn between 53rd and 54th is not on campus. Now check and see when the last time a person was injured in a robbery attempt on Chicago's gold coast. I think one will find it happens even more frequently there. Chicago is a big city after all.</p>
<p>Thanks, idad. University campuses and their environs are attractive places for petty criminals, even campuses that are not located in big cities. Many years ago, I was studying at a library at the UW-Madison campus when a disturbed person attacked another student with a hatchet--in the library, in early evening. I doubt that anyone outside of Madison heard about it.</p>
<p>threnody, I'm all for individual rights, and I'm not a big advocate of gun control, but I don't think students arming themselves with loaded guns is a really fine idea. (Could bring up a few GPAs I guess. Give me a B or better or else...)</p>
<p>Levitt could analyze it in his next book: How the increase in students' concealed weaponry correlates with GPA. Do kids with guns have higher GPAs? Lower? Equal? Why?</p>
<p>I'm not advocating legalizing concealed weapons. I probably wouldn't even carry if that option was legally open to me. But if a student really wanted to stick up a professor for a grade, there are certainly illegal ways to attain a weapon in Chicago.</p>
<p>It's different where I live... We can turn this into a pro-gun/anti-gun argument, but opinions rarely change over the internet.</p>
<p>Read the Maroon editorial I posted above, if you haven't already.</p>
<p>The wallet/iPod on campus thing either wasn't real or wasn't reported. All crime incidents on campus/Hyde Park happening to students get sent out,a nd this NEVER was.</p>
<p>It's legitimate. The e-mail I received was the same as above except it didn't include the end part :</p>
<p>
[quote]
I encourage members of the community to be aware of their surroundings
and call 911 or 773-702-8181 if you notice anything suspicious. As
always, feel free to contact me directly with questions or concerns at
773-70<em>-</em>*** or by e-mail at *******@uchicago.edu.</p>
<p>Our efforts to reduce crime and increase law enforcement coverage that
protects individual rights and builds community trust will continue.
For more information on crime prevention programs and initiatives,
please visit oca.safety.uchicago.edu.</p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Hank Webber
Vice President of Community and Government Affairs
[/quote]
</p>
<p>NB - I blocked out the contact info for privacy.</p>
<p>Myself, I know the stabbing e-mail was legit.
I meant:
[quote]
Last week, a student was held up at gunpoint and robbed of his wallet and ipod in the middle of the day on campus.
<p>The daytime gunpoint hold-up did happen to a student in my D's class. He was completely shaken up. Whether the kid reported it or not, who knows. And whether it would have generated a specific e-mail.....</p>