The following alert was disseminated by the Cambridge Police Department this afternoon. One of the incidents involved a Harvard affiliate.
CITIZEN ALERT:
Cambridge Police Share Safety Tips & Information on Recent Unarmed Street Robberies
March 27, 2012
The Cambridge Police Department is asking residents to be vigilant after two recent unarmed street robberies occurred in Cambridge.
The first incident occurred on March 25 between 1:30 and 2 a.m. when a female in her 20’s was thrown to the ground by a male on Kirkland Street near Trowbridge Street as she walked alone wearing headphones. The victim was knocked unconscious and robbed of her iPhone and purse containing various items.
The second incident occurred on March 26 at approximately 11:15 p.m. when a female in her 20’s was physically assaulted by a male at the corner of Ellery Street and Harvard Street. As with the first victim, this female was also walking alone and wearing headphones when she was robbed of her iPhone.
Both victims described the suspect as either a light skinned black or white male in his 30’s.
To avoid being victimized, Cambridge Police encourage all persons to take the following precautions when walking at night:
- Do not wear earbuds, headphones, or listen to music while walking alone.
- Always walk with a friend or in a group when possible.
- Be aware of your surroundings at all times and trust your instincts.
- Walk with confidence on the street and at a good, steady pace. Keep your head up and observe your surroundings. Don't look down at the ground.
- If you feel you are being followed, show you are suspicious
- Turn to look at the person. This sends a clear message that you will not be taken by surprise.
- Change directions. If someone is following you on foot, cross the street and vary your pace. If the person following you is in a car, turn and walk in the opposite direction.
- If approached, DO NOT RESIST. The best course of action is to hand over money and whatever other belongings are demanded and try to disengage from this confrontational and potentially dangerous situation as soon as possible. Remember, things can always be replaced.
- Try to remember descriptive information about the robber (height, age, race, etc.) to relay to police when reporting the incident.
More safety tips are available on the Cambridge Police Department’s website at www.CambridgePolice.org/SafetyTips.
Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call Cambridge Police at 617-349-3300. Anonymous tips may also be sent via text message to TIP411 (847411). Begin your text with TIP650 and then type your message.
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Disseminated by the Harvard University Police Department at 3:25 PM.
Contact: Steven Catalano - steven_catalano@harvard.edu