Hanover Police and the Department of Safety and Security are investigating an incident in which an unidentified individual entered the unlocked dormitory room of a sleeping student and fled after waking her with a touch to the shoulder.
The incident, which occurred in the River Cluster's Hinman Hall early Sunday morning, was reported to both the Hanover Police and Safety and Security shortly afterwards, according to College Proctor Bob McEwen.
Safety and Security immediately canvassed the surrounding area, though officers were hampered by the absence of any description of the intruder, who left the dormitory room so quickly that the student was unable to provide any information.
"We don't even know if the person was male or female," McEwen said. "We just don't have any answers at this point."
In response to the incident, Safety and Security has increased foot patrols and encouraged community directors to tell students "that it is wise to lock their doors," McEwen said.
"It's just a smart thing to do," he said. "It gets around to protecting yourself, your property and providing some semblance of security for your fellow residents."
Carolyn Parma '05, a resident of Hinman Hall, also felt that students should generally take greater precautions to ensure their security.
"I don't think that the dorms are necessarily unsafe. But students should be aware that this isn't a completely safe campus and that they should be on their guard," she said.
Parma suggested that the planned door locking mechanisms for the entrances into residence halls -- which have yet to be activated -- might have prevented such an incident.
Though exterior dormitory locks might provide part of the solution, McEwen said they "would not prevent everyone from getting in," and should not be taken as a replacement for locking individual rooms.
According to Hanover Police Chief Nick Giaccone, the least charge that could be brought in such a case is criminal trespassing, while the heaviest would be a burglary if intent to commit a crime was proven.
The incident comes on the heels of two recent events -- both of which also resulted in "crime alerts" -- in which students were threatened or attacked along Tuck Mall, which leads to the River Cluster.
In February, a sophomore returning to his dormitory was assaulted by an unidentified man along the road, suffering facial bruises and a bite to the neck.
On March 21, two mask-wearing men approached two female students and a guest along the same street, making grunting noises and acting in an intimidating manner, though no physical contact was reported. The men left the scene before Safety and Security officers arrived.
