Student safety source of concern

The Safety and Security Office issued a warning Tuesday about three separate incidents occurring around campus over the past three weeks which have threatened the safety of several students.

At 1:41 a.m. on Sept. 6, a student walking on the Old Barrows driveway observed a man of about 40 years old, with light hair, masturbating in nearby bushes. The incident was immediately reported to both the Safety and Security Office and the Oberlin Police Department.

At 8:09 p.m. on Sept. 7, a student jogging on the bike path between South Professor Street and Pyle Road saw a man masturbating nearby and notified the Oberlin Police Department, describing the man as approximately 40 years of age with short or shaved hair.

At 10:23 p.m. on Sept. 22, a student was verbally harassed by three occupants of a brown Dodge or Ford full-size pick-up truck while walking in the business district of South Main Street. The three occupants, described as white males in their late twenties with shaved heads, verbally taunted the student and then threatened to beat him. The student fled and later contacted the Oberlin Police Department.

According to the bulletin released by Director of Safety and Security Keith James, the incidents "are currently under investigation" by both the Oberlin Police Department and the Safety and Security Office.

James advised students to avoid poorly lit shortcuts when walking in the evening hours, to be aware of the location of the nearest Emergency "Blue Light Phone" and to keep keys and validine within easy reach before reaching a destination.

He also suggested that students avoid walking alone after dark, or if it is necessary to walk alone, to "avoid alleys, entryways and shrubs where someone may be hiding." He also reminded students that the Safety and Security Shuttle system is available to students on and around campus between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.