Halloween Spurs the Least Original Criminals

Two “Scream” Mask Robberies Near Campus

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) alerted students, faculty, and staff about two strong arm robberies that occurred within 24 hours of each other near campus, through an email sent out on Saturday afternoon.

“The suspect was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and a mask from the movie Scream,” the email said.

The suspect’s disguise appears to be life imitating art as the mask was made popular by the horror movie franchise “Scream.”

“All of a sudden I hear a loud scream and a skinny guy in a “Scream” mask is running towards me”—Read the survivor’s anonymous account at the bottom.

One of the robberies occurred on Parker Street, between Turk and Anza between 7-7:30am. According to Dan Lawson, Director of DPS, more officers have been brought in to patrol around campus during the time the robberies occurred.

The Richmond District Police station said they were looking for two suspects, but they couldn’t give out further information because the search is an ongoing investigation.

An officer at the station did offer a piece of advice: “Report a crime straight away. Don’t wait a couple of days.”

“When I leave campus now, I’m running to my car and locking myself in,” said freshmen Aaron Louie.

Staying Safe this Halloween

Any safety tips for Halloween? “Travel in groups, if possible,” Lawson suggested. “I wouldn’t say to avoid the Scream mask as a costume, but maybe if you’re a male, with a slim build, wearing jeans and a dark hoodie… be alert that this isn’t the best costume for you.”

Lawson also discouraged fighting back against an attacked. “It’s always recommended to just give up the item that [the assailant] is after.” Lawson recalled a recent incident in the Western Addition neighborhood near campus, when a male student resisted a robbery and consequently sustained injuries from the attacker that required hospital care.

Lawson said that the Clery Report doesn’t require DPS to report off campus robberies but they felt that it was necessary to alert students, faculty, and staff, when they recognize a pattern or if the crime occurs in close proximity to campus.

There were 9 robberies reported on public property near USF main campus in 2012 according to Public Safety’s latest Clery Report.

Crime Prevention Workshops Reserved For Women

The USF community can look for tips on general safety on Public Safety’s website.

You can also join DPS officers as they instruct courses on Self-Defense at the Koret Center. However, the website for USF Self Defense classes makes it clear they are for “Women ONLY.”

The most important tips are to always be aware and alert and to keep valuables like smart phones and laptops concealed.

A Halloween Trend for Criminals

Is the “Scream” mask a popular disguise for robbers around Halloween? Numerous cases reported around the country this year point to a pattern.

In Seattle, a man in a “Scream” mask, who implied he had a weapon, attempted to rob a Wells Fargo just a few days ago.

On Oct 23, an armed man wearing the same mask robbed a Subway restaurant in Atlanta.

A man wearing the “Scream” mask was reported robbing a barbershop in Portland with a handgun last week.

“Most of us can navigate through an urban area and never be a victim of crime,” said Lawson, “but sometimes it’s inevitable and you can’t avoid it.”

 SCREAM Victim Speaks 

Editor’s Note: One of the victims of the robberies agreed to speak to the Foghorn about her experience, under the condition that her identity is kept anonymous.

Foghorn: What Happened?

Victim: I was walking down Parker Street around 7 o’clock in the morning and it was incredibly foggy. I could barely see 5 feet in front of me. I watched a girl walking in front of me disappear into the fog and all of a sudden I hear a loud scream and a skinny guy in a “Scream” mask is running towards me with a stolen backpack and the screaming girl is chasing him. I think he was hiding in that little Lone Mountain alleyway before he robbed her.

F: When did the attacker divert his attention to you?

V: He tried to grab my phone, but then realized that the girl, whose backpack he stole, was still chasing him, so he pushed me aside and ran off.

F: What did you do?

V: I ran to campus as fast as I could. I called Public Safety and they told me to call the police. I filed a report with the police, and then Public Safety called me back to file a report with them. Then, I went home and tried to take a nap but I couldn’t fall asleep.

F: Have you made any changes to your daily routine?

V: I’ve been getting friends to drive me home. If that’s not possible I get friends to take the bus with me and walk me home. I might invest in a taser. I think [the assailant] used the mask purposefully to scare people, and it worked.

Staff Editorial: Maybe We Should Have Said: “Student Robbed at Gunpoint; Were You Notified?”

Last week we the Foghorn broke the news of a student being robbed at gunpoint on Anza Street. The headline read: “Campus resident mugged at gunpoint, students not notified.” University President the Rev. Stephen A. Privett S.J., found fault with our headline and sought further clarification. We, at the Foghorn, stick by our headline and story. Our headline read “Students not notified,” implying that a majority of students were not, and still have not, been notified. This statement is correct.

However, we would like to clarify two specific points, per Father Privett’s request. Privett pointed out in a series of emails to the Foghorn that according to Webster’s dictionary, a “mugging” is an “assault.” He disputed the use of the word in the headline because as the story made clear, the student was not physically harmed. He also asked for clarification regarding the survey we published along with the story.

This story was not meant to mislead the public or sensationalize the event, but to inform the public. As the student newspaper, our aim is to do what is best for the student population we serve.  If the Foghorn had not published the article, most students may never have known about the robbery. It is vital that students receive this information for their own safety. We hope that when students ask themselves: “Is it a good idea to walk home on Anza St. at 2:00 a.m?” their answer will now be: “Probably not. I read in the Foghorn that someone got robbed there recently.” The student could then call the safety shuttle to take them home, a service we reported on in last week’s issue.

Public Safety’s aim is also to serve the student population; we have shared goals. It is important to remember that even public service entities, like the Foghorn and Public Safety, occasionally make mistakes. In this instance, Public Safety did not realize that their email was not sent out to students. They realized this only when a Foghorn reporter inquired about it.

There was some confusion regarding the survey that accompanied our story. We had asked students if they had received an email from Public Safety regarding the robbery.  An overwhelming majority said “no.” Strangely, a few students said “yes”.  Our theory is that these students may have been desk workers at the dorm buildings. Desk workers did receive notice of the robbery,  so they could be on the lookout for anyone using the victim’s stolen One Card. Another theory is that students assumed they received an email, without checking their inbox. Regardless, the survey was unclear. To correct this, the Foghorn put out a newer, clearer survey this week regarding the “Mugging” story. The results can be found in this issue’s News section, as well as a follow-up story.

The final point of contention was the Foghorn’s use of the word “mugging.” The word, as many students understand it, is a synonym for robbery, meaning property was taken by threat of force, rather than actual use of force.  We apologize if anyone misconstrued our usage of the word to mean anything other than an armed robbery.

Ultimately, the Foghorn staff is thankful we were able to keep our readers informed. Like the Foghorn, Public Safety’s aim is also to serve the USF community. We believe they are trying their best, just like the Foghorn. However, mistakes are inevitable. Last week we made a mistake in our usage of the word “mugging” and Public Safety overlooked sending out an important notice to the majority of students. Neither mistake was intentional.

Student Arrested on Rape Charge: Acquitted after district attorney office droppped charges

This past Saturday afternoon, students received a Public Safety crime bulletin through their USFconnect email which informed them that a male USF student was “accused of raping a non-USF female, which allegedly occurred Friday night at an off-campus location.” After turning the case over to the San Francisco Police Department, Dan Lawson, director of public safety, said on Monday afternoon that there was a chance that “This case may not be charged.”

As of Monday evening, Lawson confirmed that the San Francisco district attorney’s office had dropped the charge against the unnamed USF student because they did not believe there was enough evidence to take the case to court.  While he could not comment on specific details about the case or the student involved because of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which binds the university to privacy regarding student information.  However, he did say, “It is common in many acquaintance rape cases that alcohol is involved.”

Erika Carlsen, senior politics major and member of Students Taking Action Against Sexual Violence, said “I really believe [the way to prevent sexual assault] is education.  A lot of people do not know that a person cannot give consent if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Also to educate the USF community about how many survivors there are in our community personalizes the issue and it becomes more real.”  Lawson offered advice on prevention as well. “Watch out for each other, don’t let yourself be under the influence of drugs and alcohol, which can affect judgment and the ability to identify threats,” he said.

As a result of the awareness prompted by the recent Ryan Caskey case, the USF administration has made an effort to increase education about sexual assault. Carlsen said, “We [Students Taking Action Against Sexual Violence] were really pleased with the way that the university responded this time, both in terms of how quickly they responded in getting the message out and the sensitivity of the message.”

Lawson said that rape is not unique to USF.  He said, “It happens everywhere, but are people encouraged to come forward?”  USF has held several forums and is currently creating a Women’s Resource Center to equip students with essential information about what sexual assault is and how to address it.

USF Student Arrested, Charged with "Acquaintance" Rape

Allegations of assault and rape made by four female University of San Francisco students prompted the arrest of 21-year-old USF senior Ryan Caskey last Thursday. Caskey was arrested by the San Francisco Police Department on campus in the early evening and is currently incarcerated at the SF County Jail awaiting arraignment, when he will enter a plea of guilt or innocence.

Each of the reported rape incidents took place in on-campus residence halls over the last several months according to USF Director of Public Safety Dan Lawson. All of the alleged victims were female students and acquaintances of Caskey. One of the female students came to Lawson with her testimony on Feb. 10, and from there Public Safety was able to investigate, conduct interviews with other alleged victims, and make a case to present to SFPD. SFPD was contacted Feb. 11, and after reviewing the case, they took Caskey into custody the following evening.

Because of confidentiality required by the justice system, Lawson is not able to release many specific details about the case to the public. This ensures a fair trial if Caskey eventually faces a trial by jury and also protects the confidentiality of all parties involved. Lawson could not clarify when or where the alleged rapes took place, or whether date rape drugs were said to have been used.

The four alleged victims are currently receiving counseling for their trauma. Their identities are being protected for their own privacy.

Senior politics major Erin-Kate Escobar, who did not know the alleged victims, said she felt “so proud” of the women who came forward to testify about what had happened. “I feel empowered by their strength; I don’t know if I would have been as strong,” she said. Many cases of sexual assault and rape go unreported because the victims don’t know if they were really raped, or think they might have partially been at fault. Rape and sexual assaults are among the most unreported crimes; the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) reports that 60 percent of sexual assaults go unreported.

Lawson emphasized that the nature of the rapes were “acquaintance rapes” as opposed to “stranger rapes,” a distinction that should be less fear-inducing to the community. He said, “Many people in the community are fearful when they hear that a rape has occurred. Their understanding is that somebody was waiting behind a bush or climbed in through a window – a complete stranger.” Lawson added, “[An acquaintance rape] is not any less severe. But it is important to remember that [Caskey] knew all of the victims, and they knew him.”

According to RAINN, 73 percent of rape victims know their assailants.

Many students at USF have reacted with an expectable amount of outrage. A group of about 12 concerned students gathered Monday night to develop a list of requests for the administration to increase awareness and education about sexual assault and rape. The requests focused on educating students about what defines sexual assault.

Erika Carlsen, a senior politics major, attended the meeting and said that education about sexual abuse should be sustainable, an integral part of orientation to college. These students plan to solicit feedback and concerns from more students at a meeting on Thursday in Parina Lounge at 11:30 am. After gathering this information, they plan to draft a letter to the administration that addresses these issues.

Maggie Mullens, a senior sociology major who attended the meeting, was concerned that more students were not discussing this matter more seriously. “I’m furious that the average student isn’t more furious,” she said. She was also concerned about the University’s policy of being what she called “intentionally vague,” only releasing the most basic information to the student body, who she felt had the right to know the whole story. Lawson justified that this was standard protocol and he had been specifically asked by the SFPD to not release any more information than was necessary.

Caskey was in his fourth year at USF, majoring in politics. In addition to his studies, he was also serving as a cadet in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program.

He is now on interim suspension from the university, which stipulates that he not attend classes, take part in any USF-affiliated activities, reside in his apartment in Loyola Village, or enter any part of the campus until further notice. If Caskey is found not guilty or has his charges dropped, the university may reevaluate the situation and permit him to re-enroll in his classes and on-campus housing.

If he is found guilty on the charges, he could face between three and eight years in state prison for each count of rape, according to California Penal Code Section 261.

The Department of Public Safety continues to investigate the case and is leaving the door open for any more victims to come forward, whether related to this case or any other.

Lawson said he hoped the University community will look at this as a warning to exercise more caution in the future. “Use this as a learning moment,” he said. “Bad things happen sometimes, even on a very safe campus – and this is a very safe campus… What matters is how we’re prepared to react to it and prevent it from happening in the future.”

To Escobar, the best way to prepare against this is more education about rape and sexual assault. “I want to see students want to be educated,” she said. “We need to make it part of our curriculum.”

Lawson recommended simple measures to help prevent rape. “We don’t ever want to say that a victim is at fault in these situations,” Lawson said. “What we do want to say is there are ways to avoid being put in those circumstances… Keep an eye on your friend and take care of each other – that’s what we want to promote.”