ineteen convicted sex offenders live and work within a 0.5-mile radius of the Foggy Bottom Campus — more than the number living and working within the same distances from Georgetown, American and Catholic universities combined, according to a Hatchet investigation.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department Sex Offender Registry, two convicted sex offenders live in the Foggy Bottom area. The other 17 — whose crimes range from child sex abuse to rape — work near the Foggy Bottom Campus. There are no sex offenders living or working near the Mount Vernon Campus, according to the registry.
These 19 offenders were convicted — or determined not guilty by reason of insanity — of crimes including rape, sexual assault, attempted rape, child sex abuse and sex with a minor. Of these accounts, seven were cases in which the victim was a stranger.
There are only two sex offenders within the same distance of Georgetown, two near American and six near Catholic. Howard has 11 offenders within a half-mile of its campus. The University of D.C. has 14 sex offenders living and working near its campus, Trinity has 19 offenders living and working near it, Gallaudet has 28 sex offenders living and working near its campus and Strayer has 37 offenders living and working near it.
There are 965 registered sex offenders total
in the District of Columbia..”
“I’m not surprised by [GW’s] number,” junior Talei Thompson said. “Obviously we should be [concerned], but I’ve been here for two years and I’m already aware of safety concerns. As long as you follow the precautions GW recommends, you’re pretty much fine.”
Sarah Allan, a junior, said the only thing that worries her is the fact that GW does not warn students about the sex offenders near campus.
“There are lots of people walking around and lots of females living in the area,” Allan said.
Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump said students must remember they live in a densely populated city and should report all crimes and suspicious activity immediately.
“Always be aware of your surroundings, wherever you are. If you are wearing headphones, do not turn up the volume so high that you cannot hear outside noises,” Crump said.
MPD also advises against walking alone late at night and suggests avoiding alleys, vacant lots and secluded areas. Crump said students can visit MPD’s website to read more about campus safety.
Senior Joshua Joseph said the high number of sex offenders within a short distance of campus disturbs him.
“GW should be required to tell us,” Joseph said.
University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said students should practice campus safety precautions and report suspicious activity to the University Police Department.
“As always, students should be aware of their surroundings, do not allow unauthorized or unknown people into residence halls and if they see someone or activity that is suspicious they should report it to GWPD,” Sherrard said in an e-mail.
The UPD website also offers a link to the MPD sex offender registry — the federal Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act requires universities to issue statements informing students that the information is accessible.
REPORTED AUGUST 26, 2010 | GW Hatchet by Priya Anand Contributing Editor
