An increase in crime notification reports have been sent out to IU students over the past several weeks, but what has alarmed groups of students such as Hoosiers Against Sexual Assault, is IUPD not naming the specific locations where sexual assaults have taken place on campus.
Recent crime notifications have named assaults happening on streets such as North Jordan Avenue and Third Street, both streets housing fraternity chapters.
Deputy Chief of IUPD-Bloomington, Shannon Bunger released a statement to the press:
“It’s to protect people in those [Greek] houses who may not have anything to do with it. It’s a privacy issue. Not to protect the person that did it, but let’s say I live in a house and I have nothing to do with it and then my stuff gets out there, you know, then I’m guilty by association.”
IU Student Body Government has decided to partner with the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association.
IU Student Body Vice President Madeline Dederichs says it is unfortunate to feel it is a protection for Greek chapters on campus.
“It does provide another barrier to finding justice in a sense is to hear that coming from an officer at our own university,” said Dederichs.
Dederichs and IU Student Body President, Ky Freeman says there should be more accountability from both the university and those preserving the problem.
“And just because it’s not reported doesn’t delegitimize the actual experience that's there so we have to figure out a way to collectively get there and understand that we are all trying to figure out the solution to this problem and no one entity by itself can solve it,” said Freeman.
A petition on Change.org was started on October 3 by a group of young women informing IUPD’s decision to protect the locations and afflictions to sexual assault cases. The petition description states: “IUPD is no longer listing the specific locations of reported campus sexual assaults on the public crime log.”
Molly Ross, one of the group members, is glad people are willing to work against the rise in sexual assaults but not the situation itself.
“I would say every woman on campus has someone or themselves that have been affected by assault, so that part is disappointing,” said Ross.
Hoosiers Against Sexual Assault is planning for a protest on Friday, October 22nd.