The Gainesville Attorneys of the Law Office of Alba & Straile, PLLC, along with residents of our community, remain concerned following reports of numerous victims being assaulted in the UF vicinity. Fortunately all of the victims were able to get away unharmed. However, students, and any other persons traveling by foot on or around campus at nighttime, particularly females, are reminded to take extra precautions to ensure their safety, including:
Whenever walking at nighttime:
- Avoid walking alone
- Call for a ride or hail a taxi
- Travel in groups
- Stay in well-lighted areas
- Stay in areas that are patrolled by campus security
- Remain aware of your surroundings, both visually and audibly
- Do not use headphones or listen to music while walking at night
- Do not talk on phone while walking at night, but DO carry phone in hand
- If you feel you may be in danger, call 911
- Carry an audible alarm/personal security device/pepper spray/mace in your hand as you walk
- If you attacked, scream/yell as loud as possible and continuing to do so
- If you are entering a parking garage alone, use the call boxes, when available, if you feel in danger, or notify campus security before proceeding into the garage alone.
- If you must travel alone at night, and you are worried, notify Alachua dispatch at 352-955-1818, or UF campus security at 352-392-5447, to see if you can get a police/security escort, or at least notify them of your location, and that you will be traveling alone at night
As far as the recent UF incidents, the university states they have increased security on and around campus. Whether recent safety measures will be enough, we have yet to know—but we hope that this will not be discovered through an attack on another victim. Consequently, we urge any persons traveling by foot in the Gainesville/UF area, now more than ever, to take measures to protect themselves and ensure their own safety. To view more safety information, see UF’s ‘Together for a Safe Campus’ brochure.