On Saturday, students received an email from the Department of Public Safety concerning a burglary and assault in West Georgetown. The incident occurred at 3:45 a.m. on October 20 in a home on the 3500 block of O Street NW.

Two female students returned to their home early Saturday morning and encountered an unknown male intruder. Originally the students thought that the intruder was the friend of a roommate but after he asked to use the restroom and they began to question him, he punched both women in the face and fled the scene.

The doors of the house had been left unlocked, which, according to DPS Chief Jay Gruber, was the most likely cause of the incident. “The fact is, we’re living in the middle of the city, we have to be careful,” Gruber said in an interview with Vox.

Gruber said that the case is currently being investigated by DPS in conjunction with MPD but that the vague description of the suspect and the lack of evidence at the crime scene are making it difficult to draw any conclusions.

Gruber encourages Georgetown students to make sure that they always lock their doors and windows even if they are present in their residence. If you do find an unwanted guest in your home, you should leave the residence immediately and call 911.

At approximately midnight last night, a Georgetown student was assaulted by a taxi driver transporting the student back to campus. The driver also made inappropriate sexual comments to the student, according to a public safety alert about the incident.

The student reported the incident to the Department of Public Safety at 1:23 a.m. this morning. the Metropolitan Police Department and DPS are currently investigating the incident. The alert describes the taxi driver as a Middle Eastern or African male with short, curly black hair, who speaks with an accent.

DPS requests that anyone who has information regarding this incident, or who noticed any suspects before or after the incident, to contact them immediately at (202) 687-4343.

At 11:00 p.m. on the evening of Monday, August 29, two students were reportedly followed and threatened by a group of seven unknown males somewhere in the vicinity of Henle Village, according to a University Public Safety Alert sent out earlier today. The group is reported as consisting of seven white males, aged in their late teens or early twenties, six of whom were wearing backwards-facing baseball hats, and at least one of whom had “blonde hair [and] light-colored eyes” and was about “6’2″, 2175 pounds, lean build, wearing khaki pants and a polo shirt.”

One of the males “threatened to assault” the students, and the two walked “quickly” towards Healy Gate. The suspects pursued them, but when they reached a parked car belonging to the Department of Public Safety, they fled in an unknown direction.

DPS asks that anyone with information regarding this incident call them as soon as possible at (212) 687-4343.

View Campus Crime Watch: January 31 – February 20 in a larger map

Tuesday, 8 February 2011

10:00 AM – THEFT (Walsh). A female student went into a restroom on the fourth floor and placed her wallet on the counter. She left the area and forgot to take her wallet. When she returned to the restroom, the wallet was no longer there.

12:17 PM – HARRASSMENT (Lauinger). A female (Non GU student) was stalking and continuously emailing a student. The suspect was identified and was brought to the DPS office where she was barred from campus.

2:46 PM – THEFT (Darnall). A student secured his bicycle with a u-lock. When he returned to retrieve it, he found that an unknown person had cut the lock and stolen his bike. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

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Early Sunday morning, three unknown men attempted to abduct a student near the corner of 34th Street and Prospect Street.

According to a public safety alert, the men approached the student at approximately 2:15 a.m. and attempted to talk to him. One of the suspects grabbed the student’s arm, then pulled him towards a black SUV parked near the intersection. After a Metropolian Police Department police car appeared, the suspects released the student and fled.

“The three suspects are described as Hispanic males wearing black clothing,” the alert added. “One of the suspects wore his hair in a ponytail.”

At 10:30 p.m. yesterday, an unknown man attempted to rob a faculty member in the inner courtyard of the Southwest Quad.

According to a public safety alert, the suspect approached the victim from behind and attempted to grab her purse. After he saw another person approaching, he pushed the victim to the ground and fled. The unnamed faculty member sustained injuries to her hip, shoulder, and knee.

The suspect is described as a six-foot, one-inch white male with a light beard and thin build, wearing “a gray hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and white shoes.”

View Campus Crime Watch: November 2 – November 10 in a larger map

In addition to the latest burglary and attempted burglary in Village A, this week saw a pair of bizarre automobile-related incidents: A pizza car hijacking and a DUI near Darnall Hall.

Tuesday, November 2

8:15 AM – ROBBERY (3600 block of Canal Road). MPD reported a robbery at a gasoline station at this location.

4:04 PM – ASSAULT (Village A). An unknown person attempted to gain entry into an apartment after the suspect forcefully grabbed the students arm and followed her on Wisconsin Avenue. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. [Editor's note: DPS classified this crime as "attempted burglary."]

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[Editor's Note: We're changing up our crime coverage a bit. Now, we're posting weekly crime reports, rather than monthly.]

View Campus Crime Watch: October 1-11 in a larger map

This past week-and-a-half saw the three on-campus assaults, two of which DPS characterized as “domestic violence assaults.”

According to Rachel Pugh, associate director of University communications, criminal behavior can fall under the purview of both Student Conduct and D.C. law. Physical assault, depending on the severity of the injury, is classified as either a Class B or C violation, which general carry minimum punishments ranging from “housing probation or housing suspension to disciplinary probation or disciplinary suspension” and “disciplinary suspension or … dismiss[al] from the University.” D.C. law punishes “simple” (i.e. misdemeanor) assault with a fine of “$1000 and/or imprisonment of up to 180 days, or both” (DC Code 22-404).

To report an emergency, call the Georgetown Department of Public Safety at (202) 687-4343 or the DC Metropolitan Police Department at 911.  To report other suspicious behavior, call the DPS tip-line at (202) 687-2320.

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As expected, the first full month of the academic year saw an uptick in crime from the summer lull, bringing the total number of crimes reported to the Department of Public Safety up to 43 for the month. A number of off-campus crimes occurred in September as well, including a burglary, a number of iPhone robberies, and a robbery of an armored car.

Here’s a rundown of some of the crimes that were reported to DPS:

• A suspect was found to be in possession of a dangerous weapon when it was determined that he had three machetes. (Sounds like he came prepared for any potential burglaries on campus.)
• Two assaults on a police officer occurred in September, one of which happened during the protest of Álvaro Uribe’s guest lecture.
• Nine drug violations were discovered by DPS, of which nearly half took place over the second weekend of September.
• A total of 13 thefts were reported to DPS, including a bike stolen from inside the Mortara Center, as well as an unattended computer and wallet  taken in Lauinger Library.
• Two lewd incidents were reported, including one about a male fondling himself in front of a student.

[Editor's Note: Due to technical problems, we couldn't compile September's crimes onto a map this morning. Once we work out the kinks, we promise to add it to the post.]

View Campus Crime Map: June 2010 in a larger map

Continued a trend of low crime rates during the summer, Georgetown saw minimal criminal activity in the month of June. Although June’s Daily Crime Log listed an increase number of crimes compared to May, the 22 reported crimes is still the second-lowest rate of 2010. June saw two violent crimes—an assault against a DPS officer in pursuit of a suspect, and a simple assault in Village C West—in addition to a slew of thefts, burglaries, and one good-old-fashioned drug violation.

• Twelve thefts occurred in or around campus. In all cases except for one (in which the suspect was trying to steal bicycle parts in Red Square), no witnesses observed the crimes and no suspects have been identified. The most noteworthy theft? A suspect stole a plasma television from the Medical School.
• A suspect, who was later arrested, assaulted a DPS officer after fleeing the scene of a theft. (Likely involving the aforementioned bicycle parts in Red Square).
• Four burglaries happened last month, including the one on 36th Street that led to a Public Safety Alert. According to the Log, another burglary occurred the same day on the same block, yet DPS did not issue a PSA. In another incident, a suspect broke a window in the IDEAA office, only to leave without stealing anything.
• A drug violation went down in a University townhouse, where apparently students used “an illegal substance.” We’re shocked!
• An identified suspect “drove through an armored gate” in the Leavey Center parking lot, while someone else threw a brick through a car window in the McDonough lot. Destruction of property and parking lots—a match made in heaven.