Personal Experience
From Duke Wiki
Please share your brush with crime during your stay at Duke. This includes being accosted for money while walking, burglary, robbery, assault and vandalism, whether you reported it to the police or not. You need not give any personal information. Do keep the first line the same format as shown, so that it is easier to compile information and discuss the extent of this problem with Duke and Durham offcials.
- House Burglary , Campus Walk Apts - LaSalle St, Jan 2006, ~ 8.00 pm , I am a Grad Student --Sabs 14:39, 22 January 2008 (MST) A burglar jimmied a window and stole a wallet and a watch before running out by opening the patio door.
The folowing information was collected in response to an email sent out on January 21 2008 to the India and International House mailing lists.--22:34, 24 January 2008 (MST)~
Incident 1 (names not to be revealed):; Armed Robbery attempt, HollyHills Apts - LaSalle St, 12 Jan 2008, , I am a Grad Student, ; My name is Ray , and I'm a PhD student in the CS Dept. On 12th Jan 2008, me and roomies (Ray1,Ray2) were mugged at Hollyhills Apt Complex when we were about to enter our apartment. The person who did this is an African-American male, around 25years old, a little short, well built, was wearing a black overcoat and a red bandana with checks around his face. He was pointing a gun at us during the incident. None of us were hurt, even though we didn't have any money to give him.
Incident 2: Victim: A.S. ;Chased by Three potential robbers, Bradford Ridge- LaSalle St, 31 December 2007, ~ 4.30 pm , I am a Grad Student, The incidents of robbery are increasing day by day. I can tell on the basis of my interaction with other students that we all are scared upon hearing these incidents. I am grad student from India, in my first academic year. On the eve of New Year, at about 4:30 pm, I and my husband, also a graduate student, were coming back from west campus to our apartment in Bradford Ridge, near Poplar West. Three black men, who were coming from Louise Circle side, followed us and ran behind us. Fortunately we were at a distance and could get into our apartment. We called up the Durham police and told about the incident. After 10-15 minutes a policeman came and we explained the incident.
Incident 4 Accosted for money, Ninth St., Dec 2007, ~ 9.00 pm , I am a Grad Student; This is S. I am a PhD student with the Electrical Engineering department. This incident happened mid-December 2007 on 9th street (East campus). I was out to get dinner at about 9pm. Since the school wasn't in session at that time 9th street was deserted. A tall person approached me from one of the side alleys. At first he seemed harmless; all of a sudden he got aggressive and walked up to me fast and told me that he wanted money to get dinner. He then put his arms in his pockets and told me that he did not have any weapons. Just to be safe I gave him a dollar bill after which he left. The encounter was unexpected and scary to say the least.
Incident 5 Armed robbery: 3 armed robbers, Campus Walk Apartments - La Salle St., Spring 2005, ~ 11.00 pm , I am a Grad Alumnus, This incident happened Spring semester of 2005. This is Z.L; I graduated with a PhD degree from Duke in 2007. We were at a get together with a few Chinese friends. At around 11pm we heard a knock on the door (Campus walk apartments), and we opened the door assuming it was one of our friends. Three African American men armed with guns stormed into the house. One of them stayed back in the apartment with everyone else while the other two took my friend and me (the only two with check cards) to the nearest ATM. They made us withdraw all the cash that we had in our account and we suffered a loss of $700 and $900 respectively. We then called the police and they told us that it was highly unlikely that the suspects would be found, and that has been the case to this day.
Incident 6 Burglary, Alta Crest Apartments - Rose Garden Lane, October 2005, , ; We had a burglary in our apartment - Alta Crest Apartments (15202 Rose Garden Lane, Durham, NC) October'05, when I was there. Luckily no one was at home and we lost digital camera, watch, PDA and a suitcase.
Incident 7:; Accosted for money,Erwin Rd- LaSalle St.,, Evenings , I am a Grad Student, Near the intersection of Erwin Road and LaSalle Street, strangers often ask students for money with the excuse that they need it for a bus ticket or to buy food. This usually happens in the evenings, and I've often been asked for money by the same persons repeatedly.
- Armed Robbery, Campus Walk-Poplar West, Jan 2008, Evening, Also, I am aware of an incident where three students were asked for money at gunpoint as they were about to get into an apartment near either Campus Walk or Poplar West - this was also in the evening. It happened about 10 days ago and has been reported to Durham Police, but perhaps not Duke Police.
