Ryan ChartrandPolice are advising women in San Luis Obispo not to walk alone at night after the fourth sexual assault in the past two months occurred Dec. 10 near campus.
The most recent assault appears to be linked to the other three, although police have not confirmed if they are in fact related.
The recent attacks have students as well as many in the community concerned about their safety.
“The key is to have a plan and not to walk alone,” said Lt. Steve Tolley of the San Luis Obispo Police Department. He advised carrying a cell phone and said that having a flashlight was also a good idea.
The University Police Department has distributed a safety advisory update flier that describes the attacker around campus and has posted the flier in student housing areas. The man is described to be between the ages of 20 and 25, with short brown hair and brown eyes and 5-foot-8-inches tall.
Muir Hall resident and kinesiology freshman Linsey Stahowski said the flier made her feel slightly less comfortable on campus, adding that the description of the suspect was very vague.
“It could describe almost anyone,” she said.
For all students who walk home after class, the University Police Escort Van Service has newly extended hours. The service runs from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. The van picks up students at Kennedy Library, the University Union and the Business building. It will drop students off anywhere on campus and up to a half mile off campus.