The IU Police Department ordered an extended public safety advisory after receiving three separate reports of men interacting suspiciously with sorority applicants over the past week.
Hannah Skibba, public information officer for IU Public Safety, said it’s the first time she has seen this many incidents in such a short time frame.
“I will say that this was probably one of the only populated areas of campus, since everybody else was still home for break,” Skibba said. “Unfortunately, it does bring a lot of that unwanted attention.”
Last Wednesday, a man in a white van was taking unsolicited photos outside of sorority houses on David Baker Ave. IUPD found the man and banned him from campus for a year.
Police were later called to check out an Uber driver, but the claim was considered a miscommunication.
Saturday, a man in a black SUV with an IU sticker on the back drove next to a girl pretending to be a driver for IU Ride. The man insisted the girl get in the car, but she refused. IUPD is investigating.
“We did a thorough investigation on each of them,” Skibba said. “We have made contact with two of the people, and then one is still outstanding,”
IU Ride did not resume rideshare service until Jan. 13. The organization issued a statement reminding students that IU Ride does not approach people and that riders should verify ID numbers before getting into any vehicle.