A recent increase in the number of violent crimes in the area has fueled concerns among local residents and students about safety in Georgetown. These incidents range from forced break-ins and thefts to sexual assault.

A resident on O Street who requested anonymity had recently been burglarized and deemed the crime wave experienced by his neighborhood “unprecedented and out of control.”

“The feeling among citizenry has been extreme vulnerability and while the police response is generally very swift, the problem is that actions taken afterwards are not very reassuring,” he said.

The break-in through his “heavily fortified” basement door occurred in December and he has yet to hear of any findings from the Metropolitan Police Department after filing his police report.

According to him, situations like this show that the police have not done an adequate job in letting people know that something is being done about the situation.

Jesse O’Connell (COL ’04) also agrees that MPD should do a better job of taking information that they have and following up on police reports. Although he is a resident of Prospect Street, he has not had any problems with crime.

“It’s certainly something we’re aware of, but we’re pretty good about keeping our door closed and our windows locked,” O’Connell said.

Nevertheless, the police are doing as good a job as can be expected said Nick Lizop (COL ’05), whose house is on 33rd Street. He also claims that most victims of crime did not take the necessary measures to avoid the situation.

“I think we rely too much on the security provided [by PD] and we need to take more responsibility for our safety,” Lizop said.

MPD could not be reached for comment.

The Georgetown Department of Public Safety has regularly sent out university-wide broadcast e-mails to students notifying them of crimes involving Georgetown students. The e-mails encourage all who live or travel beyond Healy gates to travel in numbers and avoid dangerous areas.

Ray Kukulski, president of the Citizens Association of Georgetown, is part of a community leadership program in which residents and police officers can analyze problems in the community and come up with solutions.

He argues that police have indeed taken an active role in countering violent crimes. MPD Commander Jeffrey Moore for instance has “flooded” the streets with officers, Kukulski says.

“Concerns people have about [police follow-up] are very valid but police often have no say in the matter,” he said, citing cases in which police were forced to let suspects go for lack of evidence.

According to the Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., associate dean of development, the university plans to bring in police officers for a forum with students to advise them about safety issues. He encourages students to use common sense in avoiding potentially unsafe conditions.

“I know a lot of students that live off campus and it’s an invitation when they leave doors and windows open,” Wildes said. “We [at the university] try to heighten awareness as much as possible.”

This past winter DPS and MPD finalized plans to operate joint patrols to guard the safety of students traveling in the area. The change happened after calls for an increased police presence in West Georgetown at a November Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting.

Students were notified of two crimes over spring break, including a student house one block away from campus that suffered a break-in and a Village A apartment that was burglarized.

Lisa Trepper (NHS ’07) is aware of both the recent violent crimes and the larger police patrols but says she does nothing differently. She does, however, take care to have a whistle on her key chain at all times.

“I try not to walk late at night and if I am alone I try to be aware of my surroundings and stick to busy areas,” Trepper said. “I think it’s more important to rely on yourself for personal safety rather than anyone else.”