By Emma Way
Senior Staff Writer
With warm weather rapidly approaching, crime seems to be on the rise in Chestertown.
On Saturday night, April 6, a male student was allegedly leaving a party on High Street and heading to his residence on Washington Avenue when three black males approached him. They began asking first for cigarettes, and when the student said he didn’t have any, they ultimately told him they wanted money.
The student and the three assailants then allegedly got into a brief altercation. Then the student ran away while the three males chased him. Not until he reached a friend’s residence and hopped the fence, did the aggressors stop pursuing him.
According to the Chestertown Police Department, the student noted a hammer in one of the assailant’s pocket during the altercation. At this time it is unclear whether the hammer was ever presented to the student or used as a threat against the student.
Injuries to the student during the confrontation were noted by Public Safety, said Jerry Roderick, director of Public Safety. Roderick and his team saw the student and requested he go to Health Services.
After seeing the victim, PS sent out a campus-wide safety alert in order to reach all students and faculty on the potentially dangerous trend occurring in Chestertown and how to stay safe in the future.
“The police have experienced a rise in this kind of activity in the community, and it was at their request that we put out that campus-wide email. It’s getting a little tough down there at night, so be careful,” said Roderick.
Another incident similar to the one on April 6 occurred on March 23 and was also mentioned in the email. This altercation began with two black males and three females approaching a student and asking for money.
One of the assailants punched the student, forcing the student to flee the scene. This aggressor has been identified, but because there is a lack of probable cause, no charges have been made. This case is still under investigation.
Additionally, after reading the campus-wide email, another student reported a different incident to PS. According to Roderick, “around 12:15 a.m. as … another student… was walking back to campus by Campus Avenue, he was approached by two young men who began … asking for cigarettes, and then money.”
Luckily, at that exact moment a PS vehicle was pulling out of the Building and Grounds lot. When the student pointed out the vehicle, “two individuals disengaged and ran back into the community,” said Roderick.
When asked what could be the cause for an increased in crime, Chestertown Chief of Police Adrian Baker said, “Now that … the weather… is a lot more tolerable… there will be more people taking advantage of that opportunity.”
The campus-wide safety alert and Chief Baker both stress the importance of walking in groups, using Safe Ride when available, and always being cautious. These reminders are “not to instill fear that… you can’t walk by yourself in Chestertown… but to think twice about walking by yourself… really late [at night],” said Baker.
All these investigations mentioned are still active and being investigated by the Chestertown Police Department. Chief Baker also said the Police Department plans to “ramp up security now that it is warmer out.”
Keeping the campus community informed about these incidents is very important in making sure students are safe in the future.
Freshman Michaela Quigley said, “My feeling of safety has not changed since receiving the campus notification… I feel that it is just a reminder of how important it is to always be aware of your surroundings and to walk in groups rather than alone, especially at night.”