After the spate of recent break-ins and burglaries in South Campus, a suspect was arrested by the Boston University Police Department and is currently awaiting arraignment. Students say these incidents reflect a deeper problem of on-campus security.
Campus Survivors, an Instagram page that shares the stories of sexual assault survivors on college campuses, posted a student’s experience with the intruder who exposed himself outside of their door.
“BU did us an injustice, and did the surrounding community injustice by not explaining the severity of the situation,” they wrote.
Students living in South Campus have previously asked for additional security measures such as surveillance cameras, tinted windows for first-floor residents and chain locks for their doors, according to the post.
BU spokesperson Colin Riley wrote in an email he spoke with BUPD Chief Kelly Nee regarding the Campus Survivors Instagram post.
“The suspect arrested last week will face charges related to the incident that is referenced on the Instagram post you asked about: open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior,” Riley wrote.
Maya Fajardo, a junior in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, is a resident of 728 Commonwealth Ave., which was the location of the suspect’s arrest. Fajardo said the University’s response to this incident was “lacking.”
“I think that they are trying too hard to not scare people,” Fajardo said, “and they’re not being transparent enough about what measures exactly they’re taking.”
Fajardo added she is concerned about campus security because self-protection falls on students.
“We are completely reliant on ourselves, I guess, for protection really,” she said. “The police come fast, but if the intruder’s already in the building, that’s the issue.”
College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Defne Yucebas is also a resident of 728 Commonwealth Ave. and said she was critical of BU’s actions following the break-ins.
“I actually don’t think it was the best response at first because we have been talking about the South thief for a while now, it’s been a couple of weeks,” Yucebas said. “I know a lot of people have been paranoid.”
She said it is reasonable for students to ask for additional security measures.
“I don’t think it should be that hard to actually surveillance everything,” Yucebas said, “and make sure that no one else goes into buildings.”
Prior to the series of break-ins, Yucebas said she felt very safe in her dorm and never imagined someone would trespass.
“Now I’m more aware how central my dorm particularly is,” she said. “It’s on Commonwealth, a lot of people who are not a part of BU at all walk in front of the building all the time.”
Yucebas said it isn’t difficult to get inside of the building, and residents will often let in the person behind them when they hold the door open.
“Since we don’t have a security guard, or I don’t even think we have cameras in the building,” Yucebus said, “I think it’s not that hard to actually get in the building.”
Fajardo said there is a lack of direct communication between the University and affected residents.
“Be more transparent about what exactly they’re doing and more communicative than publishing only in BU Today and the BU alert,” she said. “The Zoom call that they did for residents of South Campus was a very helpful thing to do but they only did that once.”
Once again, the man arrested IS NOT THE MAN WHO WE SAW MASTURBATING. Please at least get the story right.