Sunday morning, at 3 a.m., three to five men encircled a 22-year-old UW-Madison student just outside of MacTaggart's, 230 W. Lakelawn Place. Almost immediately, the student felt a sharp instrument against his back and handed his wallet over to the men.
Since early 2006, there has been a surge of muggings in Madison that is not unique to the Langdon Street area. Numerous campus-area streets have also experienced muggings, with victims often beaten into submission before having their valuables taken.
According to Ald. Austin King, District 8, Langdon street is no longer just ""a fun place to hang out, it's also a place target by criminals.""
Rick Schober, Manager of MacTaggart's, said the area surrounding his store is dangerous. He takes special precautions to ensure the safety of his patrons and costumers. Schober said he ""makes sure they [his staff] don't leave except... with someone else."" He tells his staff, ""if they feel uncomfortable, to call the police and get a police escort out.""
But for all the recent muggings and heightened security, police have made no arrests. According to Madison Police Public Information Officer Mike Hanson, detectives have struggled to compile meaningful evidence.
""Often times victims have been intoxicated,"" Hanson said. ""They can't give accurate information on who the suspects were.""
The victim of Sunday's robbery provided no details of his attackers other than that two of the men were taller than the others. Police have not said whether he was drunk when he was robbed.
Police have also had problems gathering evidence because of muggings that are reported days later, Hanson said, adding that victims frequently do not come forward for fear of being punished for underage drinking.
The inability to provide sufficient evidence is exactly the reason criminals target drunks in the first place, King said.
To prevent future muggings, the city hopes to increase lighting in poorly lit streets by trimming trees, replacing burnt out light bulbs or building new light poles altogether, Hanson said.
King insisted Madison is not the only city experiencing increased crime.
""Crime goes in cyclical patterns, crime's up across the country,"" he said. ""Under the Bush administration, a lot more people are becoming poor and ... when we see periods of economic distress crime goes up.""
Unfortunately people will always come home late for various reasons like jobs and buses, Hanson said. However, he said students could still find ways to protect themselves.
""Try to bring a flashlight,"" Hanson said.
