SU Special Bulletin

On October 18, 2008 at approximately 1:45am, a Salisbury University student was robbed at gunpoint on Spruell Drive in Salisbury, MD.

The suspect brandished a handgun and demanded the victim’s wallet. The suspect then fled in a maroon colored car.

The Salisbury University Police Department has issued several bulletins this semester for similar incidents. The persons victimized in incidents such as the one described in this bulletin, often have several traits in common. Victims are typically (though not always): walking alone during late night or early morning hours; intoxicated; and talking on a cell phone, listening to music through headphones, or otherwise preoccupied and not attuned to the surroundings.

You can reduce your vulnerability for victimization by maintaining an alert mind and traveling in groups.

Remember that the Salisbury University Police Department offers a free escort service after the hour of darkness. Call 410-543-6222, - or on campus extension 36222.

If you have any information regarding this case, contact University Police at 410-543-6222, Salisbury Police at 410-548-3165 or Crime Solvers at 410-548-1776.

Special bulletins are posted in an effort to make the University community aware of any situation that poses a potential threat to the safety and well being of those who live, work, study and visit the campus. By keeping you aware of crimes occurring in your community, the University Police hope to encourage you to become actively involved in crime prevention. The following personal safety tips apply wherever one resides. The precautions may lessen the likelihood of becoming a
victim. Increasing awareness of crime prevention techniques may decrease the opportunity for a person to commit a criminal offense.

Street Robbery Tips:
1. Try to remain calm. Do not resist. Consider the robber dangerous.
2. In most cases, the robber only wants your valuables/money and is not there to hurt you.
3. Assume the robber is armed, even if you don't see a weapon.
4. If a weapon is displayed, consider it to be real and loaded. Don't stare at it.
5. Do only what the robber tells you. If you don't understand, tell the robber.
6. Attempt to get a good, complete description of the robber.
7. Your main goal is to survive!
8. Don't fight back! The most effective self defense measures include running away, hiding and screaming. More people will respond to someone yelling "FIRE" than "HELP".
9. Remember--your money can be replaced, your life can't.

Basic Street Smarts:
1. Stay alert. You are your own best protection.
2. Trust your instincts. If something or someone makes your feel uneasy, use your cell phone to call 911 for police assistance.
3. Do not walk or jog alone after dark. Walk in groups, there is safety in numbers.
4. Walk in well-lit areas and stay near the curb, away from alleys, entry ways and bushes where someone could be hiding.
5. Avoid short cuts. Walk where there are other people present.
6. Let a family member or friend know your destination and estimated time of arrival.
7. Walk confidently, directly, and at a steady pace. Make eye contact with everyone you pass. Don't talk to strangers.
8. Wear clothing and shoes that give you freedom of movement. Avoid carrying a purse or too many items.
9. If you are being followed when walking, change directions, vary speed. Go to a well-lit area where there are other people. If followed by someone in a car, turn and walk in the other direction. Record the license number.
10. If you feel uncomfortable walking alone on campus or to nearby off-campus locations during the hours of darkness, call University
Police for an escort (410-543-6222).
11. Report any suspicious activity or crimes to your local police department.

Report any suspicious activity or persons immediately to the police. If possible, use a cellular phone to call 911 while maintaining visual observation of the subject
(s).

Chief Edwin L. Lashley
University Police
ellashley@salisbury.edu