The Charlottesville Police Department responded to a robbery reported at 20 Elliewood Ave. on the Corner at 10:49 p.m. Tuesday, according to a community alert sent by Tim Longo, chief of the University Police Department and associate vice president for safety and security.
A male suspect in a grey shirt and blue jeans grabbed the female victim’s purse before leaving on foot, according to the report.
This is the eleventh community alert of the semester and the second this month following a “peeping Tom” incident reported Oct. 16. Other alerts included a prowling incident Sept. 29, an aggravated assault Sept. 25, and five shots fired reports —most notably an incident in which a bystander was inadvertently struck by a bullet in the Boylan Heights bathroom Sept. 4
Following concerns from parents and community members about safety at the University this fall, the University Police Department announced the formation of a new unit called the Community Oriented Policing Squad, which will focus on increasing safety near the Corner and neighborhoods closest to Grounds.
The announcement drew criticism from a group of Law students, who published a letter Oct. 6 objecting to the increased presence of police officers on Grounds and called for the dismantling of the COPS unit as well as University efforts to address the “root causes” of violent crime by promoting development in the Charlottesville community.
The Young Democratic Socialists at U.Va. also recently announced a campaign calling for the University to defund its ambassadors program and fire Longo, who has previously drawn criticism for policing practices, including leadership in a racially-targeted DNA dragnet.
“Community alerts” are shared with the University community when there is sufficient and timely information that can be released to the community without compromising any ongoing investigations. “Timely warnings” are sent when crimes committed pose an “ongoing threat” to the safety of the community.”
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