U Washington students defend themselves from potential sex offender threat following assaults near campus
'I ordered two things of pepper spray,' one student says
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Students at the University of Washington are sounding the alarm on the handful of registered sex offenders who live near the Seattle campus, which has recently been plagued by crime.
"I ordered two things of pepper spray, and my parents keep texting me asking about how my individual room locks, and if there is bars on my basement window," student Jacqueline Niles told Fox 13.
The University District of Seattle, which surrounds UW’s campus, has seen repeated instances of crime in recent weeks, including a shooting that left four students injured outside a bar; a student who was assaulted and threatened at gunpoint in her own home; and the arrest of a man accused of murdering a woman near campus and sexually violating her remains.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It’s disheartening because we come to college like expecting to have safety living on campus. That’s kind of like the bare minimum of what I think we deserve," Niles added.
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Students at the University of Washington are on campus for the last day of in-person classes on March 6, 2020 in Seattle. The University will close starting Monday, March 9, as a precautionary reaction to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak for the remainder of the winter quarter. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
Now, some students are looking into who exactly lives near them and the Seattle campus.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I did a national predator registry search to see how many registered sex offenders live in this area and there's like 25 within a mile of my house, which put me even more on edge," student Kevin Baker told King 5.
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There are 10 registered sex offenders living on one off-campus street alone - a street that is also home to Greek life housing and other students, the outlet reported. The convictions for the sex offenders include rape and sexual battery, as well as child molestation and child pornography. Of those sex offenders, some have multiple convictions.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"It’s not just one or two. It’s like they all banded together to live in a house together," Niles told Fox 13.
Students at the University of Washington are on campus for the last day of in-person classes on March 6, 2020 in Seattle. The University will close starting Monday, March 9, as a precautionary reaction to the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, outbreak for the remainder of the winter quarter. The student in the gas mask said he was wearing it because all the regular masks were sold out. (Photo by Karen Ducey/Getty Images)
Another student, Maddy Jenson, said it has been "really scary" ever since she discovered that just a block from her home, a student was assaulted and threatened with a gun earlier this month.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"They can easily find a way in and just being so close to home it's like, ‘do I even want to go out tonight?’ And you're looking over your shoulder going to class because you just never know," Jenson said.
Police have also added more patrols to the University District neighborhood between Wednesdays and Sundays, which has helped calm some fears in students, according to KING 5.
"It does make you feel better that if something does happen they are so close, and you can run to help because there's a lot of times you'll go out at night and there's no one out on the street and that's when it's really scary," Jenson said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The school was among colleges across the nation that tried cutting ties with its police departments in 2020, only to reverse course and request more police presence as crime ticked up, KTTH radio show host Bryan Suits reported earlier this month.
A worker sweeps the sidewalk as Seattle Police inspect the exterior of the department's East Precinct after police cleared the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest and retook precinct in Seattle on July 1, 2020. (JASON REDMOND/AFP via Getty Images)
Department of Corrections officials told Fox 13 that most sex offenders can live where they want, unless they are on court ordered supervision.
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A University of Washington spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement that the school has no authority over how close a sex offender can live to campus.
"Under state law, sex offenders who are meeting the terms of their parole or release may reside where they choose, as long as they register. The University of Washington is aware that there are registered sex offenders living in the areas around the Seattle campus, and we understand this can cause concern in the community. The UW has no jurisdiction or ability to limit their proximity to campus. Anyone perceiving a threat or in an emergency should call 911 immediately," UW said in a statement