<p>This is scary.
Has the area surrounding campus generally been considered safe at night otherwise?</p>
<p>Absolutely and it still is. One loony doesn't make the whole place awful.</p>
<p>Good to hear. Hope they get this guy soon. Until then-- be safe!</p>
<p>I still feel safe. Also we've been reading the accounts of these assaults...it's like, as soon as the girl elbows him he runs away. Not a very scary guy.</p>
<p>since we just sent the deposit in for our daughter..... sure would like to know when the guy is caught!!</p>
<p>The TUPD has stepped up patrolling on campus -- they're absolutely everywhere. Also more officers are on escort duty (free) for people who don't feel safe walking home, etc. Fortunately, this means that the crazy has been scared off campus... Unfortunately, that will also make him harder to catch. </p>
<p>On a lighter, happier campus note: SPRING FLING WAS AWESOME TODAY!</p>
<p>One woman of the three women who were assaulted the past week was a Tufts student.</p>
<p>This doesn't make it any less of a concern for students/parents, but the Medford,Somerville area remains a safe residential area. </p>
<p>Like any other area, this doesn't mean that unfortunate things don't happen. Don't let this instill anxiety in you - there have been unfortuante incidents at rural Dartmouth/Hanover NH and Cornell/Ithaca. Tufts is, and remains, a great - and safe - place to go to school.</p>
<p>Ah yes, who can forget the ultra-creepy "Collegetown Creeper" of Cornell!</p>
<p>It's true, the police are everywhere now.
I've always felt that being smart will make you safe no matter where you go to college. It's about not walking home alone, calling the escort service if you don't feel safe, avoiding sketchy/empty/dark areas, keeping your cell phone handy if you can't, stuff like that.</p>
<p>I thought blurinkas comment was funny. I'd wear pointed heels, that way he's more likely to receive permenant damage if you kick him in a sensative area.</p>
<p>That's messed up though especially after reading the article. It says he dragged some girl into an alley, where is there an alley on campus? Anyways, your best bet is just to fight him even if he's armed. Scum like this usually flee in terror if they think they're attracting attention.</p>
<p>That said Tufts is really safe. Boston is getting really dangerous though.</p>
<p>I'm fairly sure all of the attacks happened off-campus (though some were kinda close to the campus)</p>
<p>LOL@ RBAY. Actually I kept saying things like "oh come on, he's not even a convincing sexual molester, he runs away at the first sign of resistance" but then someone was like "YEAH, except one of the women was ACTUALLY RAPED." Then I felt guilty, lol.</p>
<p>My friend was going to watch TV at a house behind Bromfield Pearson and asked for an escort. He just drove up, she got into the police car, the drive is like less than a minute. I mean really, the campus is relatively small, and I've never felt unsafe walking home at 3 am. Esp. since there are usually a few other people going somewhere at that time. But since it seems this guy frequents places that are a little bit off campus, that might be a diff. story. Also places to walk on campus are pretty well lit and if you stick to those it may be safer.</p>
<p>I laughed so hard at "where is an alley on campus"...I really can't think of a single one!</p>
<p>This just in, all Tufts students got this email tonight:</p>
<p>To:
Tufts Community</p>
<p>From:
Tufts Police</p>
<p>Earlier this evening, Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone
announced that the Medford Police Department has arrested Nicholas
Chacon, 19, of Somerville, on three counts of indecent assault and
battery, one count of attempted rape and one count of rape. Included
among these charges are several assaults that occurred near Tufts
and prompted the release of Safety Alerts by University Police. Mr.
Chacon will be held at the Medford Police station until his arraignment on
Monday, May 7. This arrest is the result of tips from the public and
the efforts of a multi-agency task force that included Tufts
University Police Department.</p>
<p>While this is very good news for the Tufts community on the
Medford/Somerville campus, and for our neighbors, the University
Police would still like to remind everyone that personal safety
requires ongoing vigilance. While Mr. Chacon has been connected to
the incidents described above, other incidents remain under
investigation. The University Police will continue to assign extra staff to patrol the campus and surrounding neighborhoods. Students, faculty and staff
are urged to make use of the safety escort service and to use caution
while walking in or around campus.</p>
<p>never shall he darken Tufts alleyways again.</p>
<p>I heard on NECN that he turned himself in.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if the arrest was why Tufts' campus was littered last night (10:30ish) with news vans?</p>
<p>^Nope, the news vans were on campus because of the drive-by shooting that occured in the infamous Tufts University Housing Projects.</p>
<p>What?! What housing projects?</p>
<p>um...sarcasm, I hope?</p>