Armed robberies in the greater campus area have “dissipated” since police arrested Kendredge Dillard Oct. 25, who is alleged to have connections to an estimated 25-30 Madison robberies, according to a Madison Police Department spokesperson.
Police arrested Dillard in Illinois following the armed robbery of a University of Wisconsin-Madison student’s home on the 500 block of West Mifflin Street.
MPD Public Information Officer Joel DeSpain said the department has had no armed robbery reports since Dillard’s arrest, and MPD has arrested a number of others who could have been involved in downtown robberies as well.
“We often see that a small group of criminals can really generate large numbers of crimes and certainly there’s the possibility that was the case with Dillard and perhaps one or two others,” DeSpain said.
According to DeSpain, MPD has concentrated a lot of its efforts on stopping the downtown robberies, and they continue to put officers on patrol during the times most crimes occur.
“We continue to be very vigilant with our patrol officers and our community police team when we talk about the downtown area,” DeSpain said.
Associated Students of Madison Secretary Carissa Szlosek, who is heading ASM’s campus safety campaign, said she noticed an increase in both MPD and UW-Madison Police Department office patrols following the spike in armed robbery incidents in September.
UWPD Spokesperson Marc Lovicott said campus crime has remained constant in the last few months and UWPD has not seen anything unusual, noting the armed robbery incidents were technically off campus, but he encouraged students to “be smart” and practice personal safety.
Szlosek said students have taken an interest in campus safety, and she and other campus leaders are brainstorming possible responses, including improving the Safe Arrival for Everyone walk service’s outreach efforts.
Utilization of current services, especially SAFEwalk, is an issue ASM wants to address moving forward, according to Szlosek, but the organization is also exploring the possibility of a late-night shuttle service for students.
“I hope that everyone is still engaged in this, regardless of whether the crime rate is up or down,” Szlosek said. “I think it’s really important that we ensure students are safe on this campus.”
