Newark police prepare for fall crime surge

For the third year in a row, the Newark police department has enacted a fall crime suppression plan to combat the surge in street robberies that typically occurs during the first few weeks of class.

Police spokesman Lt. Brian Henry said the department is concentrating more officers in areas that attract university students, including the areas surrounding Cleveland Avenue, Main Street and Chapel Street.

"We found that there are a lot of students there, out all hours of the day and all hours of the night, sometimes putting themselves in bad situations—being by themselves, being intoxicated—sometimes not," Henry said.

Criminals have found these areas, especially in late August through early November, to be victim-rich environments, he said. Henry said the department has divided these areas of criminal activity into smaller sectors and assigned an officer to patrol each sector at all times.

"That puts a large number of officers, not just milling around this area—they each have a specific area that they're responsible for," he said. "That way we know we have officers covering the entire area that we need, but we also have them spread out enough where they're not all bunched together."

Henry said the increased police presence has two purposes. The first is to dissuade potential criminals from committing crimes in these areas.

"The second is if crimes do get committed in that area, we have a lot of officers there to try to capture the people who committed the crimes before they are able to get away," he said.

This fall marks the third year of this crime suppression plan, a strategy that has proven successful, Henry said.

In the fall of 2007, there were 20 street robberies in Newark. This number dropped to nine in 2008 when Newark police first implemented the plan, and then to six in 2009, he said.

There have been two street robberies since freshman move-in weekend this year, Henry said. The first of these robberies occurred on Aug. 28, when two females allegedly attacked two female students walking down North Chapel Street. The suspects sprayed the two women in the face with pepper spray and stole their purses, Henry said.

 Another robbery took place in the School Lane apartment complex on Aug. 31 when a university student escaped robbery by biting his attacker. The bite marks were later used to identify the suspect.

Sophomore Lindsay Domino said she has noticed an increased police presence in Newark since returning to school.

"It's a little weird to see cops everywhere all the time," Domino said. "But I know they are there for a reason. They are keeping people safe."

Senior Kane Nerys said the enhanced police presence is a positive stride for the university and greater Newark communities.

"As long as [Newark police officers] allocate their attention toward real issues rather than petty disturbances, it is a good thing," Nerys said.