This article discusses sexual assault. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call RAINN’s national sexual assault hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for confidential support.
MILWAUKEE — Reported sexual assaults occurring at universities on Wisconsin college campuses or involving their students have shown a concerning rise in recent years, according to data from Universities of Wisconsin schools.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s (UW-Milwaukee) Annual Security and Fire Safety Report showed at UW-Milwaukee there were 16 reported assaults in 2022.
The UW-Milwaukee Police Department said it is still searching for a suspect after an alleged sexual assault on campus. The incident had some of the student body shaken up.
John Powell is a Senior at UW-Milwaukee. He said his four years on campus have been great, despite a few hiccups.
“I have been robbed before,” said Powell. “In the back of my mind, I’m kind of like ‘OK, maybe I should just wait or ask someone to drive me or maybe not go at all.”’
Powell said this has happened not once, but twice, a few blocks from campus.
Even though he experienced those scary moments, he said overall, he’s felt safe at UW-Milwaukee.
“Things happen all the time,” he said. “On campus, off campus, around campus. It seems like they’re always handled in the best way possible.”
Angelica Duria is a spokesperson for UW-Milwaukee. She said some students are shaken up following the recent alleged armed sexual assault that took place Sunday, Dec. 10.
Duria said when incidents like this occur, the university’s priority is transparency.
“We want to stress that our utmost importance here is keeping everyone safe,” said Duria. “A lot of things happen behind the scenes between police, campus leaders and faculty.”
She said the university has many safety measures available on campus for students, including emergency safe phones and the Be On the Safe Side (BOSS) shuttle service.
BOSS is safe ride service available to UW-Milwaukee students; it operates every day between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. during the traditional academic calendar. Students may get a ride within the area of campus boundaries. BOSS is completely funded through segregated fee; there are no additional charges to use the service.
Duria said it’s also important to take personal precautions too, including walking in pairs, groups or in well-lit areas.
The university launched the RAVE Guardian app. It’s a mobile safety app that connects students, faculty and staff directly with university police resources through texting, confidential tips, location sharing, a call directory and a safety/resource content portal.
Powell said he and the friends he has on campus, both male and female, say they typically feel safe, but are concerned with the amount of incidents that have happened recently.
Still, he said he’s glad to be a part of a university that prioritizes safety.
“The school is always on top of situations like that and I’m glad that they do it because it makes me feel safer,” said Powell. “Makes me feel more welcome to be on campus.”
Universities across Wisconsin each have their own Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. New data is available every October.