A number of peeping incidents have hit the UC Berkeley dormitories over the past few months, raising safety concerns among residents.
At least five peeping incidents — mainly in Davidson and Cunningham Halls in Unit 2 — occurred between Feb. 16 and March 22 when several residents reported people peeping from gaps under the shower stalls or holding cell phones over the top of the stall door.
On March 22 between 10 and 11 p.m., a female was showering on the fifth floor of Davidson Hall when she saw a cell phone held over the top of a shower stall door recording her, according to UCPD Capt. Margo Bennett. The suspect left after being discovered, according to Bennett.
According to Sherry Leung, a resident on the fifth floor of Davidson, another incident occurred April 1 around 6 p.m. when she was showering alone. Leung said she saw someone holding an iPhone over the stall door when she raised her head. Bennett said UCPD has not been notified of this incident yet.
“I was kind of worried, so when I took a shower next time, I kept looking up,” Leung said.
Similar incidents were reported Feb. 16, Feb. 24, March 16 and March 18 in Ida Sproul Hall in Unit 3, as well as Unit 2’s Davidson Hall and Unit 2’s Cunningham Hall, respectively.
In the Feb. 16 incident, Bennett said a suspect was detained for allegedly peeping in the bathroom at Ida Sproul Hall but not prosecuted.
Police said they could not say if the incidents were related but are currently investigating.
These incidents have led to a community meeting held in Unit 2, where staff from UC Berkeley’s Residential Students and Services Program and UCPD Officer Quincy Ruffin discussed the incidents and safety measures with concerned residents.
Ruffin recommended that students not go to the bathrooms by themselves, to notify police right away if an incident has occurred and to communicate with other members in the dormitory.
There were six peeping incidents reported to UCPD in 2011, according to Bennett. The six incidents last year all took place between January and April.
“We do not have enough information at this time, but … over past years, we see that in February and March, we have peeping incidents that occur in residence halls.”
The Residential Students and Services Program has also started looking at different prototypes to remodel the bathrooms to improve safety, according to Marty Takimoto, director of marketing communications for Residential and Student Services Programs.
“One of the main challenges is how can we cover that space with the most material possible while fitting into fire regulations and providing enough ventilation in the showers,” Takimoto said.
Panels that reduce the gap between the ceiling and the top of the shower door were installed on the fifth floor of Davidson this week. Pending the fire marshal’s approval, this prototype may be added to all halls in Unit 2, according to Dan Ocampo, director of residential living.
Leung said she felt safer after the panels were installed on the shower doors.
“We are making this a priority for safety’s sake,” Takimoto said. “(Peeping is) definitely an infringement on residents’ privacy.”
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Are the showers co-ed? Why would anyone take pictures of their friends?
instead of pursuing legal actions against suspects, we’re yet again hoisting responsibility upon womyn to protect themselves? why am i not surprised? we need to take action to change the atmosphere on campus that violence against womyn is unacceptable, including peeping and invasion of privacy!
And you know what exactly would do that? Free birth control. And free abortions. Then we won’t have any more peeping.
Idiot.
Oh, wait, I repeated myself. In the liberal mind, abortion is a type of birth control.
what the **** is a ‘womyn’ ?
Hmm…I have to go to the bathroom. But I shouldn’t go in there by myself because Officer Ruffin said so. Let me ask my roommate if she can monitor me. But wait, my roommate isn’t here. Hmmm…I see John is in the hallway. John seems nice and friendly. Let me ask if he can come with me….Wait John, why do you have your phone underneath the stall while I’m peeing? Officer Ruffin said it should have been safer this way….
Lol….
“but … over past years, we see that in February and March, we have peeping incidents that occur in residence halls.”
So this has happened before?
Are you fucking serious?
“Ruffin recommended that students not go to the bathrooms by themselves,”
This is yet another reason why prospective students should pick a different university. UC Berkeley: where it’s not safe to go to the bathroom by yourself!
“Or is the general state of things at Cal really that ridiculous?”
there is only one answer to that question, but many reasons
While it may not cheer up the ladies too much, they should at least know that the peepers have never actually touched a real woman, and spend their lonely solitary lives watching porn and beating off on their substandard equipment.
The UCPD now recommends that students not go the bathroom alone…
Is Officer Ruffin mentally defective?
Is this another facet of the administration’s continuous exploitation of popular fear to enable its long term authoritarian power grab?
Or is the general state of things at Cal really that ridiculous?
How many times a day does someone go to the bathroom on campus?
Now compare your answer to that question with how many incidents of peeping there have been.