Davis has gone creepy. And quite frankly, we are scared.
In October alone, three crimes have been rampant in the news, none of which bring comfort to the college students walking home late from the frat parties or sleeping in their apartment alone because their roommate left for the weekend.
Earlier in the month, a woman was raped by a stranger on the street who smashed her phone to prevent her from calling for help. This past week, an indecent exposure suspect was caught and identified as a multiple offender, flashing innocent students in August. Lastly, two Davis residents reported being robbed at gunpoint last week, having to surrender their possessions to two thieves.
None of these crimes are minor offenses, and they should be cause for concern. There is no apparent reason for the sudden noticeable spike in crimes and creepers in our town.
Davis is a college town, with half of its population made up of students, often young and vulnerable individuals just learning to live on their own. To protect ourselves, we need to take a few precautionary measures.
Don’t feel silly taking a self-defense class — that means you too, guys. Learning the best ways to free yourself or paralyze an attacker can prevent you from becoming another statistic and in some instances save your life. UC Davis offers physical education courses in self-defense. You can take a class at any martial arts studio, the UC Davis Police Department, Campus Violence Prevention Program (CVPP) and even the Experimental College.
The CVPP is a great resource with lots of tips and workshops for prevention and intervention. You can also download a document with 100 tips to prevent sexual assault. Peruse their website to discover what they have to offer.
Another underutilized resource is the UC Davis Campus Safety Escort Service, intended to prevent anyone from becoming a victim of a crime when working or studying late. This service will take you anywhere you need to go on campus for free.
The Tipsy Taxi has a similar job, ensuring that all of the party animals make it home safely from anywhere in the city for a $3 fee.
So, with the knowledge of the crime rise in our sweet and once-thought-to-be-safe town, do yourself a favor and buy some pepper spray or learn how to escape from a stranger’s grip. Nowadays, you never know what you will run into.
