To the Yale Community,

It has become a tradition for me to write as the fall semester comes to a close to provide a few tips for keeping safe, whether you are travelling or remaining on campus during the winter recess period. This year, several   troubling street crimes have taken place on campus recently, so I am also writing to provide an update on how Yale is responding to, and will continue   to work aggressively to deter, these kinds of incidents. 

When preparing for the winter recess, please take extra care to safeguard your property. Secure your computer and electronic devices. Lock your room or   office (and your windows) when you leave.

It’s important to take precautions with your personal safety, as well. Here on campus, fewer people may be walking around during the recess, so be   mindful of that. Anywhere you go, be aware of your surroundings at all times,   travel in well-lit and populated areas—and walk with others whenever   possible. Don’t display cash or electronic devices on the street, or text or   talk on the phone while walking. You should also avoid walking with ear buds,   because listening to music or any other distraction tends to isolate you from   your environment. Finally, trust your instincts. If you feel in danger, or   see any suspicious activity, don’t hesitate to seek help. On campus, call the   Yale Police at (203) 432-4400.

Security escorts will continue over the recess period, and you may call (203) 785-5555 for a security escort anywhere on campus. The shuttle and   door-to-door safe rides at night will also continue over the winter recess,   with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (December 24 and 25),   and New Year’s Eve and Day (December 31 and January 1). Be sure to check the   shuttle website for holiday schedules and routes: www.yale.edu/shuttle. For more information on all the safety services available to you, visit www.yale.edu/publicsafety.

I know that of particular concern to many of you are recent instances where juvenile offenders have worked in groups to rob or harass pedestrians.   Earlier this week, I sent you a message about two assaults that took place on   Wall Street early Monday evening. Two students, in separate incidents, were   struck by a group of juvenile offenders. While these incidents thankfully did   not result in injury to either victim, they are no less troubling, especially   given that they took place in the very heart of our campus.

I want to assure you that my top priority is addressing these incidents   and keeping the Yale campus safe.

Following Monday’s events, I spoke personally with New Haven Police   Department Chief Dean Esserman, and the Yale and New Haven police will   continue to work closely together. We are taking concrete prevention measures   on campus: we have increased police patrols and added additional security   officers, on foot and on bikes, focusing on behaviors that precede these   types of incidents. We have had recent success identifying, confronting and   disrupting the activities of individuals and groups who exhibit suspicious   behavior, and a number of arrests have already been made.

I would also like to provide some additional context for the “Message from the Chief” communication that you received on Monday (and others that you   receive from me throughout the year). Under the provisions of the Clery Act,   Yale is required by federal law to share information with the campus   community for certain crimes reported to us that occur within the campus area   and that are considered to represent an ongoing or serious threat to the   campus. “Ongoing threat” may mean that a criminal situation is active, or it   may mean that no arrests have been made. When we determine that a message   must go out, we provide a description of the incident, the time and place the   incident occurred, and safety information. I understand that sending out this   information may, in and of itself, generate concern, but we are committed   both to fulfilling our legal obligations and to keeping the campus well   informed.

I also want to emphasize that, as distressing as Monday’s incidents are, crime on the Yale campus is actually down this year: to date   in 2012, we have recorded 281 crimes, compared to 304 crimes for the same   period last year, and the majority of crimes we see are thefts, with bicycles   and portable electronic devices being the biggest targets. There is certainly   crime in New Haven, as there is in any urban setting, but even in New Haven   as a whole, crime continues to trend down, including, importantly, violent   crime. I relate these statistics not to diminish any concern that these   recent incidents have caused, but to reassure you that the overall outlook is   improving. My colleagues in YPD, NHPD and Yale Security intend to remain   vigilant. Our goal – as always – is a safe Yale campus.

In keeping with that goal, on behalf of the women and men of Yale University Police, I wish you a happy, healthy, and, most of all, safe holiday season.

Sincerely,
Ronnell Higgins, Chief of Police, Yale University