Armed robbery reported on Banks Street

On March 10, at approximately 12:30 p.m., a female graduate student reported to the Cambridge Police Department (CPD) that she was the victim of an armed robbery while walking on Banks Street near Grant Street. The victim stated that while entering her residence she was approached from behind by an offender who began hitting her in the head with a metal object. The offender fled after taking the victim’s pocketbook.

Because this incident did not occur on University property, it is being investigated by CPD. However, both CPD and the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) are working aggressively to find the person responsible for this incident and will continue to deploy both uniformed and plainclothes officers to patrol areas that students frequently use.

Additionally, CPD reports that there were two other armed robberies the afternoon of March 10. The first one occurred in the vicinity of Cambridge City Hospital, and the second one occurred in Cambridgeport. The victims in these robberies were not connected to the University.

If at any time you observe any suspicious activity, please notify HUPD at (617) 495-1212. If anyone has any information regarding this incident, please contact CPD, Criminal Investigation Division, at (617) 349-3370.

HUPD reminds community members to be vigilant while walking throughout campus both during the day and at night and to take the appropriate precautions, such as walking with others, traveling along designated pathways (maps available at http://www.hupd.harvard.edu/designated_safety_pathways.pdf), and utilizing the Harvard University Campus Escort Program (HUCEP). The hours of operation for HUCEP are 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday through Wednesday, and 10:30 p.m. to 3 a.m., Thursday through Saturday.

For more information on shuttle buses and evening van service, visit the University’s Transportation Services Web site at http://www.uos.harvard.edu/transportation/shu.shtml, or call (617) 495-0400.