Trigger warning: The following story discusses sensitive topics such as sexual assault and rape.
After a recent UT Martin RAVE alert about a report of a sexual assault in a residence hall, students have had questions about safety and rumors have been flying.
To dispel the rumors and explain why this particular assault warranted an alert when others have not, Chief Michael O’Neill said Public Safety must follow the guidelines of the federal Clery Act in determining whether an alert is issued and what type of alert is appropriate.
O’Neill said the Clery Act requires that alerts be issued to the entire campus for two reasons: an emergency, meaning the campus faces an immediate threat, such as an active shooter or a tornado; and a timely warning, meaning that the possibility of a continuing threat exists.
The Oct. 27 situation fell into the category of timely warning because of information received that the possible perpetrator was someone unknown to the person who reported the assault. However, in an email sent to the campus Oct. 30, Public Safety announced that there was no ongoing threat regarding the assault.
“The investigation discovered that this was a single incident between acquaintances, and the department is working on concluding the investigation,” the email read.
O’Neill said an uptick has occurred in 2024 in reported rapes and stalking. He cited six reported sexual assaults but said that one was found to be unfounded and two were reported to Campus Security Authorities, or CSAs, so they were not investigated by Public Safety. CSAs, according to the Public Safety website, are other campus officials – such as faculty, staff or resident assistants – who are not part of Public Safety but who are required to report to Public Safety when they are given knowledge of an assault.
When someone reports to a CSA that an assault occurred, but then chooses not to press charges, the case may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct and Care.
“Historically, people have not come forward because of perceived guilt or embarrassment,” O’Neill said. “But now, people are more likely to go to an RA or somebody and seek help.”
For comparison, O’Neill said three sexual assaults were reported in 2023, zero in 2022 and five in 2021.
He added that this type of assault doesn’t happen only to women; men can be – and are – victims, too.
Aggravated assaults, however, such as the on-campus shooting incident in December 2023, have been nonexistent so far in 2024, O’Neill said. That’s also a decrease from four aggravated assaults reported in 2022.
O’Neill said one burglary has been reported this year, but it was off campus, and one was reported last year. In three of the past four years, no robberies have been reported.
What worries O’Neill more frequently about student safety, he said, is the prevalence of drug and alcohol violations on campus.
“Drugs and alcohol are always a big concern. [Those violations] may seem minor compared to other crimes, but they can lead to bigger crimes, which is what happened in December 2023,” O’Neill said. “Also, alcohol leads to people making bad decisions.”
He cautioned students to stay in groups and to protect their drinks if they are at a local business or party.
Another concern O’Neill discussed involves rumors, which easily get passed around during major events.
“If you don’t have firsthand knowledge of something, don’t spread misinformation,” he said.
“We have to investigate, and we can’t always release all the information as quickly as people want.”
His biggest concern, though, is making sure students know which number to call in any situation, he said. If students see something suspicious, but it isn’t an immediate danger to others, they should call 731-881-7777. Anything that is a true emergency, of course, should be reported immediately to 911.
“We don’t want a delayed response because someone called the wrong number,” O’Neill said.
Public Safety works closely with all local law enforcement and fire departments, especially the Martin Police Department and the Weakley County Sheriff’s Office. O’Neill said local agencies are sharing radios and Martin Police can now directly call Public Safety officers to dispatch them on 911 calls. These changes were made in 2023 to improve efficiency, he said.
For more information and numerous safety tips, visit the Public Safety website at www.utm.edu/offices-and-services/public-safety/.
