City and university officials teamed up Thursday and urged Madison residents to be on high alert after a string of violent robberies in the downtown area.
Madison Police Department South District Captain Jim Wheeler said police from Madison, Fitchburg and UW-Madison are joining forces to track down a pair of criminals they believe are responsible for more than a dozen robberies since March.
MPD Lt. Joe Balles said the central district has actually seen a drop in robberies since a serious spike of robberies in 2006. In the first eight months of this year there have been 37 robberies in the central district compared to 79 at the same time in 2006. Balles said it is the violence involved in recent robberies that has police concerned.
Wheeler said many of the incidents have occurred South of Regent Street and student-frequented locations in the downtown area, such as a Laundromat on Mound Street and Bascom Hill.
“UW students and staff members have been the victim of many of these assaults,” Wheeler said, adding that one student was shot in the leg and another pistol-whipped in the some of the incidents.
Dean of Students Lori Berquam applauded students for their increased awareness in light of recent crime. While walking in the campus area with University of Wisconsin Police Chief Susan Riseling last Friday from 1:30 a.m. to 4 a.m., Berquam said she observed many people taking active safety precautions such as walking in groups of friends.
“I want to thank our UW-Madison students for their diligence and for their awareness both reacting to this current string of incidents and also the follow up to the Brittany Zimmermann murder last spring,” she said.
Despite the positive changes she saw among students, Berquam said she also noticed too many doors and windows left unlocked and opened, leaving many people vulnerable to crime. She emphasized a “24/7” approach to safety and encouraged students to remain alert around the clock.
In the meantime, both city and university officials remain dedicated to finding the people responsible for the recent violent robberies. Wheeler said police believe the perpetrators are two black males, one of whom is typically armed with a gun, however sometimes the presence of the weapon is only indicated and not seen.
Anyone with information regarding the robberies is urged to call Madison Area Crime Stoppers at 608-266-6014.
