<p>IMHO this has been happening in similar fashion at many campuses across the US. Students are walking cash machines with their Iphones, Ipads, etc etc. Criminals love soft targets.</p>
<p>UPDATE:</a> Group commits assault, violent robbery on VCU's main campus | Richmond Times-Dispatch</p>
<p>There is nothing new about this. Students in urban enviroments indeed are easy targets for criminals, particularly young and inexperienced criminals. Why? Because they often carry money and other valuables around, and often are not paying sufficient attention to the environment around them–being absorbed by their smart phone, iPod, etc. They also are often naive about the dangers that might be lurking and take unnecessary risks–such as walking around alone late at night off campus. Also, the bad guys know that students are seldom armed and usually will not put up a fight (which, btw, is a good idea; putting up a fight might get you killed).</p>
<p>Most colleges and universities located in urban environments can be very safe, provided that students develop some street smarts and exercise good judgment. But if you walk around at night, alone, looking like an affluent, upper-middle class kid not attuned to the environment, the odds are good you will have a problem.</p>
<p>Not only at night in large cities. Or even on the street.</p>
<p>[ucrime:</a> Police Searching for Charlottesville Robbery Suspect - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather](<a href=“http://ucrime.blogspot.com/2012/04/police-searching-for-charlottesville.html]ucrime:”>ucrime: Police Searching for Charlottesville Robbery Suspect - NBC29 WVIR Charlottesville, VA News, Sports and Weather)</p>
<p>yeah bonanza there is some info about the victims that was left out in the story. they probably had a commonality that caused the mob to target them.</p>
<p>barrons saw that story and read the main story , same thing as bozanza</p>
<p>I live in an urban university neighborhood. I’ve been here for many years and have had almost no problems. Bad stuff can happen anywhere, but being careful can go a long way.</p>
<p>The university police say the biggest crime around here is theft of unattended property. I go to the store and see shopping carts with open purses; the shoppers are focused on the shelves or on phone calls regarding purchase options, and they’re paying no attention to their possessions. And so on.</p>
<p>What college town cops love to do</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nbc15.com/news/headlines/3_College_Students_Fined_for_Party_104356934.html[/url]”>http://www.nbc15.com/news/headlines/3_College_Students_Fined_for_Party_104356934.html</a></p>
<p>What they don’t seem to handle well.</p>
<p>[UPDATE:</a> Brittany Zimmermann Murder](<a href=“http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/17230569.html]UPDATE:”>http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/17230569.html)</p>
<p>^ Cannot agree more.</p>
<p>Something similar has been happening in downtown Chicago. A flash-mob descends on a victim. Prior to hearing this, the term “flash-mob” had a happy connotation in my mind. My son’s urban college really has a problem with this, but usually it is only 2 or 3 teens on bikes. But, add to the equation, that often times the student/victim is on his/her way home from a late-night party.</p>