Assault Alert

["President's Office" <auemail@groupwise1.duc.auburn.edu>]

September 10, 2001 

Dear Members of the Auburn Community: 

This is to inform you of an attempted sexual assault against one of our
female students who was walking alone around 2:30 a.m., on Monday near
the intersection of Samford Avenue and Mell Street. 

The student was wrestled to the ground, but was able to escape his
grasp, run to a nearby residence and call police. Eight campus and city
police units responded to the scene within five minutes. 

The initial description of the attacker provided by the student does
not match a sketch circulated after three incidents of menacing earlier
this semester. Additionally, three sexual assaults were reported on
campus earlier in the year.

In response to Monday's, I am attaching to this email a PDF file that
contains a sketch of the attacker. As part of a continuing effort to
communicate with the campus on safety issues, we are asking you to print
this PDF file and post them in appropriate locations in your buildings.

If you are unable to read the PDF file, click here to download the 
appropriate software. 

Go to: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/alternate.html 
(As an information note, The Tiger Cub states that no advertising is 
permitted on or from trees, light poles, buildings or other structures

on campus, except for designated areas.) 

I am hopeful that with the help of this composite sketch and an alert
Auburn community we can apprehend this criminal. I urge that everyone,
especially the female members of our community, take the precautions
that were extensively publicized just days ago in conjunction with
Sexual Assault Awareness Week.

The violent nature of this attack, plus the variance in times and
locations of the previous incidents tells us we must our redouble
efforts to promote campus safety while the AU Department of Public
Safety pursues the attacker or attackers. 

I strongly suggest that women on campus: 

* Walk and run with others on campus, especially after sunset. We have
added Tiger Transit buses between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. to ensure that you
do not have long to wait for a safe ride. 

* Enroll in the Rape Aggression Defense course taught by specially
trained members of the AU Department of Public Safety. It has not
determined whether the student who was attacked this morning had taken
the RAD training, but her actions against the attacker were just what
the training recommends: Yell, fight to get away and get help. 

* Seek the assistance provided by SAfE Harbor (Sexual Assault
Elimination), a part of Student Counseling Services in Wing 231 of the
AU Medical Clinic, 844-5123. 

* Help us continue to identify and rectify problems such as
insufficient lighting or overgrown landscaping where an attacker could
hide. 

* Report any suspicious activity by calling 911 or 844-4158. The
emergency phones located throughout campus will connect you immediately
with help, either to report an emergency or to request an escort. 

These incidents of sexual assault and menacing should concern everyone
in the Auburn community because they are an affront to the safe, secure
environment we demand and work hard to provide. 

I urge you to carefully study the attached sketch developed from the
latest attack and contact the Department of Public Safety if you have
any information that could help identify and apprehend this criminal. 

Sincerely, 

William F. Walker
Interim President