Robberies at UT Arlington this month

[Drewthetexan]

There have been several reported robberies this month at or around UT Arlington.

On Nov. 22, 2009 at approximately 2:00 a.m., a UT Arlington student was approached by a group of approximately 10 to 15 African American males near Maple Square Apartments (400 S. Oak Street). One of the African American males asked the victim a question. The suspect then struck the victim in the face with a closed fist and took the victim’s backpack and wallet. The suspects then got into two separate vehicles, a dark colored SUV and a dark colored, 4-door sedan, and left the area.

Nov. 19, 2009:

Incident 1 – 1030 pm at 200 W. Third - 3 Suspects approached 2 students and asked to use cell phone, victim #1
provided cell phone and was punched in the face, victim #2 was punched in the face by one of the suspects. Suspect 3
then ordered victim #2 to give him his cell phone, and victim #2 pressed an emergency call box button and suspects fled
south east from the location

Incident 2 – 1115 pm at 412 S. Cooper – 2 suspects approached victim and asked to use his cell phone, cell phone was
provided to the suspects and the suspects fled with the phone. 3rd suspect was standing back in the shadows and did not
approach the victim.

Nov. 18, 2009 (off-campus)
An individual was approached by suspect 1 and suspect 2 in the parking lot of Peppermill Apartments,
located at 902 Benge Drive. Suspect 1 pointed an unknown type of handgun in victim’s face and stole the
victim’s backpack, cell phone, and cash. Suspect 1 and suspect 2 then fled the area on foot.

Nov. 5, 2009
Victim was walking in the 700 block of S. Pecan St. at the intersection of 3rd Street when the listed vehicle stopped at the location of the victim. The suspect vehicle was occupied by a total of four African American subjects. The listed suspect exited the rear seat of the vehicle and asked the victim if he could use his cell phone to call someone for him. The victim dialed the number and then handed the phone over to the suspect. The suspect spoke on the phone and then punched the victim in the face with a closed fist. The suspect took the victim’s phone and left the scene in the truck with the other subjects.

The one on the 18th seems isolated, from the others.

How long do you think before weapons are introduced?

The school provides a 24-hour escort service on campus, something I expect few people know about, think about, or feel they'd need - myself included.

[The Annoyed Man]

Nov. 18, 2009 (off-campus)
An individual was approached by suspect 1 and suspect 2 in the parking lot of Peppermill Apartments,
located at 902 Benge Drive. Suspect 1 pointed an unknown type of handgun in victim’s face and stole the
victim’s backpack, cell phone, and cash. Suspect 1 and suspect 2 then fled the area on foot.

Didn't happen. UT Arlington is a gun free zone.

[5thGenTexan]

Nov. 18, 2009 (off-campus)
An individual was approached by suspect 1 and suspect 2 in the parking lot of Peppermill Apartments,
located at 902 Benge Drive. Suspect 1 pointed an unknown type of handgun in victim’s face and stole the
victim’s backpack, cell phone, and cash. Suspect 1 and suspect 2 then fled the area on foot.

Didn't happen. UT Arlington is a gun free zone.

And everyone knows the BG's obey ALL Federal laws. After all they are basically good people that are just in a bad situation or misunderstood.

[Kythas]

Nov. 18, 2009 (off-campus)
An individual was approached by suspect 1 and suspect 2 in the parking lot of Peppermill Apartments,
located at 902 Benge Drive. Suspect 1 pointed an unknown type of handgun in victim’s face and stole the
victim’s backpack, cell phone, and cash. Suspect 1 and suspect 2 then fled the area on foot.

Didn't happen. UT Arlington is a gun free zone.

This one says it's off-campus, so it's not a gun free zone, unless I'm missing something.

[Tha_Veteran]

Sarcasm

[Drewthetexan]

Fair observation, it is off campus. I looked at the zoning map, and aside from technically not being across the imaginary gun-free boundary, there isn't much difference between it and the on-campus apartments 250 feet away, which have also been the site of armed robberies.



As an aside: I don't know what I'd do if I had my backpack stolen from me. The only thing of real value to a criminal is my $150 calculator, which most students won't have, but I do have thousands of dollars worth of tuition tied up in my notes and school work. Losing that this late in the semester would be disastrous!

I still have the same mechanical pencil I started my college career with too. Pardon the sentimentality, but it has survived nearly 6 years, hundreds of pages of writing, 2 girlfriends, 3 cars, 2 computers, 3 moves, several friendships, windows xp and vista, half a dozen flash drives, my parents' marriage, and an oft-used coffee percolator. That pencil has been the one constant throughout it all and I'd be absolutely heartbroken if I lost it just weeks before graduation.

[Stashbox]

I actually attend uta as well. That place is like the wild west these days, the actual campus is pretty safe, but the outskirts are really rough, and the fact that parking situation is so bad, its easy to end up in situations like this. Ive had alot of panhandlers harass me around the campus. I wouldnt feel safe at all if I didnt at least have a knife on me at all times on campus. Too many crazy stories like this in the last two years, not to mention the lady who was forced into a car and raped last month. Campus police better step it up or they better let chl's carry at universitys.

[gemini]

Campus Carry, Democrats, Chubbing. Next State elections, don't forget.

[Target1911]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I work in and around the area all night. I am one of the beloved tow truck driver that patroles some of the apts. I always hate to see these students walking down dark allies and unlit streets. Most of them just dont have a clue or think "it wont happen to me"

[Purplehood]

Fair observation, it is off campus. I looked at the zoning map, and aside from technically not being across the imaginary gun-free boundary, there isn't much difference between it and the on-campus apartments 250 feet away, which have also been the site of armed robberies.



As an aside: I don't know what I'd do if I had my backpack stolen from me. The only thing of real value to a criminal is my $150 calculator, which most students won't have, but I do have thousands of dollars worth of tuition tied up in my notes and school work. Losing that this late in the semester would be disastrous!

I still have the same mechanical pencil I started my college career with too. Pardon the sentimentality, but it has survived nearly 6 years, hundreds of pages of writing, 2 girlfriends, 3 cars, 2 computers, 3 moves, several friendships, windows xp and vista, half a dozen flash drives, my parents' marriage, and an oft-used coffee percolator. That pencil has been the one constant throughout it all and I'd be absolutely heartbroken if I lost it just weeks before graduation.

A bad guy stole my homework!

[randomoutburst]

This is why I'm upset that students can't carry on campus. I attend Austin College (in Sherman, not Austin) and obviously I can't bring my firearm to class. I can carry across the grounds and keep it in my car all I want, but if it's not on my body while walking from my car to class it does me no good.

Our school also has a 24-hour escort service that I will definitely be using should I need to get back to my car after dark. My husband and I purposely planned similar schedules for classes so we will be there at the same time, so I'm less worried about being confronted by someone when I have my 6' tall, 250+ pound hubby walking next to me...but again, if an assailant has a gun and we knows we don't (because there are no guns allowed on campus) then we're still easy targets.

I'm working on an article, actually, to submit to the school newspaper and persons in authority at the college. I doubt I will see anything come of it, but at least I can make the effort. My hubby and I also want to organize an empty holster protest if possible. I doubt we'll see much support but he and I will do it at least. *sigh*

[Stashbox]

This is why I'm upset that students can't carry on campus. I attend Austin College (in Sherman, not Austin) and obviously I can't bring my firearm to class. I can carry across the grounds and keep it in my car all I want, but if it's not on my body while walking from my car to class it does me no good.

Our school also has a 24-hour escort service that I will definitely be using should I need to get back to my car after dark. My husband and I purposely planned similar schedules for classes so we will be there at the same time, so I'm less worried about being confronted by someone when I have my 6' tall, 250+ pound hubby walking next to me...but again, if an assailant has a gun and we knows we don't (because there are no guns allowed on campus) then we're still easy targets.

I'm working on an article, actually, to submit to the school newspaper and persons in authority at the college. I doubt I will see anything come of it, but at least I can make the effort. My hubby and I also want to organize an empty holster protest if possible. I doubt we'll see much support but he and I will do it at least. *sigh*

I attended Austin college for 2 years before transfering to UTA, similar situation there as well, safe campus with dangerous areas surrounding the campus and not enough police. It is however relatively safe, I had no major incidents in my two years there. Good luck on the article, and organizing an empty holder protest (all though your probably right that you wont get much support)

[The Annoyed Man]

A bad guy stole my homework!

Not to make too much light of the situation, but that there is funny, I don't care who y'are!

[randomoutburst]

I attended Austin college for 2 years before transfering to UTA, similar situation there as well, safe campus with dangerous areas surrounding the campus and not enough police. It is however relatively safe, I had no major incidents in my two years there. Good luck on the article, and organizing an empty holder protest (all though your probably right that you wont get much support)

I agree - as college campuses go ours is very safe, probably in part due to it's contained campus with no major roads going through it. Still, I keep getting these emails averaging once a week alerting us that there's been a robbery on a street that separates the college from the residential neighborhood near the Dean dorms, or (even scarier) a woman who was approached by a man outside the library around midnight. She told him to keep his distance and he didn't so she ran away and he called, "Hey, come back here b****, I'm gonna get you..." as he ran after her. She got away but it makes me that much more aware of my surroundings and more apt to find a "buddy" to walk with after dark.

I know the college is quite liberal and even most of our friends don't understand our fondness for guns. ("Why do you need more than one?" "Can you put your guns away when I visit? I don't feel comfortable seeing them.") I don't anticipate a lot of support but I will, at the very least, carry while on campus and not in class seeing as THAT'S still legal. We have one of those lock box things that fits in our console to store our guns when we must disarm. Guess we'll finally make use of it. ;)

[drjoker]

If y'all are organizing an empty holster protest, just let me know when and where and I'll show up.