FAYETTEVILLE — Two days after a University of Arkansas student reported that she was raped by a stranger in a campus parking lot, UA’s police force was still looking for the man and continuing stepped-up night patrols Tuesday.
Within a few hours of the crime, campus police issued a warning message to the campus community through its RazALERT notification system.
Headlined “Timely Warning” and sent to subscribers at 4 a.m., the message reiterated information about several campus security services that new students learned about during recent freshman orientation sessions.
The student told university police that she was attacked from behind, forced to the ground and raped between 12:10 a.m. and 12:20 a.m. Sunday.
The assault occurred in the southeast corner of Lot 14, which is across the street from historic Carnall Hall and just yards from the school’s oldest landmark, Old Main, in the heart of campus. The site was also about 100 feet from Gregg Avenue.
“We don’t have that person identified. No arrests,” Lt. Gary Crain, spokesman for university police, said Tuesday afternoon.
Campus patrols were added because the assailant is not in custody, he said.
“On this type of crime, it’s necessary that we be extra alert,” he said.
Melissa Harwood-Rom, senior associate dean of students, said Sunday morning’s RazALERT message also advised students that sexual-assault counseling, support or educational information is available as part of a program at the Pat Walker Health Center on campus.
“We’re two weeks into the semester, and we have young men and women who’ve never lived away from home,” Harwood-Rom said Tuesday, notingthat some students might be anxious about the reported attack.
UA spokesman Steve Voorhies said the RazALERT notification system is particularly useful in a crime such as Sunday’s when a suspect can’t be immediately identified.
The system, which went live in September 2008, alerts the campus community about emergencies, inclement weather and significant campus news, he said.
UA students and employees are automatically enrolled in the system when they get university e-mail accounts.
“If there is a crisis situation, university police handle issuing the messages,” Voorhies said, adding that new technology makes notification more instantaneous and efficient than in past years.
“When there is a violent crime on campus, they are required by law to issue a campus-wide alert,” Voorhies said.
The alert also reminded students of the university’s Safe Ride program, which allows them to call for rides, even when they’re off-campus when they find themselves in any unsafe situation. It also mentioned the Razorback Patrol Escort Service. Crain said the UA is in its usual fall recruiting mode for “cadets,” or UA work-study students, to staff the escort service. Recruiting efforts included setting up a recruiting table on the first day of fall classes.
Students can call or text for an escort from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays if they need to walk on campus by themselves. The cadets’ training includes learning to drive golf carts to ferry the students, Crain said.
When cadets aren’t on duty, university police officers will escort students, Crain said.
The escort service was established after a January 1981 case in which a university police officer shot and killed a 19-year-old student after he burst into the Delta Delta Delta sorority house waving a shotgun and threatening to shoot into a crowd of about 100 people, Crain said.
The escort patrol has recruited 13-14 students so far, he said.
“We want to have 20 to 22 students to work in that program,” Crain said. “School just started, so we’re starting to build up.”
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 09/05/2012