On Sunday, September 10, a 21-year-old student survived a shot in the abdomen, which happened around 4am at a residence on Wertland Street. Police are looking for two black males who are suspected of trying to rob the student. The incident has Charlottesville police and University officials concerned with how students interact with the city population. In addition to the late hours they keep, the perceived wealth of UVA students may make them a target for robberies.
Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy J. Longo says students have misconceptions about safety when out on the Corner. “It’s easy to get into that comfort zone here, but I think the message needs to be 3am is 3am. …People go out at that hour of the night to prey on victims.”
The perception that UVA students carry a lot of cash doesn’t help matters. “Robbery is a concern when students are out,” Dean of Students Penny Rue says. “Students carry more and more valuable items with them, not only cash and credit cards, but cell phones and iPods. Both of those are highly sought after.”
Police have long had patrols on the Corner until 3am, when students are finishing up at bars or grabbing a bite at one of the Corner’s late-night eateries. These may help protect students, but the perception remains that UVA students are lucrative robbery targets.
And it may not be mere perception. A May 2006 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education noted UVA as having the wealthiest student population of any public university. Just 7.6 percent of undergraduates in 2004-2005 received Pell grants, typically a reflection of household income below $40,000. And, the article reported, in 2005-6, more than 60 percent of Virginia freshmen came from families with incomes of $100,000 or more.
Police have not announced any leads on suspects in the case.
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