UW Oshkosh Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs shared the following message with the campus community on Nov. 7: 

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Dear UWO Campus Community Members,

We are committed to providing you regular communication and updates on our collaborative campus-area safety efforts during the recent, uncharacteristic series of assaults near UW Oshkosh. In some cases, we are limited in what we can release during ongoing investigation. However, we want to let you know our campus community has really stepped up in the last several weeks. It is making a difference.

University Police, the Oshkosh Police Department and Community Service Officers are working hard. They have increased the number and intensity of patrols on and around UW Oshkosh in the last few weeks. The numbers of University SafeWalks—now available starting at 5 p.m. and, if needed, running past midnight—are approaching 500 this semester. SafeWalks are a resource for students, staff and faculty, and we are glad to see the program being used. Over the last year, more than 1,000 more people registered to receive Titan Alert text messages. We continue to offer inclusive, campus safety forums, such as the one we hosted this past Wednesday evening in Reeve Memorial Union. People are supporting one another by traveling with friends and in groups and using well-lit routes on and around campus.

We are working hard on your behalf, and we want you to continue to help us. Please take a few minutes to hear this short message from University Police Chief Joseph LeMire. As one of our public safety leaders, he is equally proud of our ongoing safety efforts and encourages you to continue to play a role in our success.

We are getting results. As you may know, we have already arrested one perpetrator for a couple of the assaults, and we are exploring the possibility that this same perpetrator is responsible for more. Crime analysis work is underway right now.

While the incidents are unrelated to the assaults, there have been additional, recent demonstrations of our commitment to safety. A man who fired a gun into the ceiling during a student event in Reeve Memorial Union last March was in court to face charges this week. As you may have seen in the media, last week two UW Oshkosh professors and Dean of Students staff members shared information with Oshkosh Police and the FBI that led to an arrest of a UW Oshkosh student and the containment of hazardous materials from his off-campus home.

Again, these matters are isolated and unrelated to the recent assaults, but their resolution shows our community’s commitment to taking action when our safety and that of our neighbors is threatened.

We understand the feelings of unease and frustration these incidents cause. The fact is these crimes and assaults are simply not the norm at UW Oshkosh and in our community. We know that no victim is ever responsible for the assaults perpetrated against him or her. Individually and collectively, we are making decisions and taking action that heighten our personal and campus community’s safety.

Petra Roter, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh