According to a recent mass email from TheGovSays, campus police received several phone calls on Oct. 24 through LifeSafe about a group on campus soliciting students. These reports rumored that the group may be connected with a human trafficking ring. Campus Police investigated and interviewed the individuals soliciting but found no evidence that this is a human trafficking ring.
The group is affiliated with a religious group called God the Mother and the email stated that their “solicitation was religious in nature.” The group is now aware that they are not allowed to solicit on APSU campus “unless they are following university policy” and were asked to leave campus. TheGovSays email also stated, “However, this does not exclude the group from soliciting from public areas, such as city sidewalks.”
Campus Police have also contacted the FBI about this incident for precautions. Part of the investigation, led campus police to “a news article from Oberlin College’s newspaper, The Oberlin Review, that describes solicitation similar to what happened at APSU.” The article can be accessed by the link below:
Campus Police recommend considering these security precautions:
- Immediately report suspicious people loitering around university facilities.
- If you become the victim of a crime, do not try to physically detain or apprehend the suspect. Report the incident immediately to the APSU Police Department at 911 or 931-221-7786.
- Always walk, jog or bike in groups in well-lit and well-traveled areas. You can request an escort from the APSU Police Department.
- Scan the area before you exit or approach your vehicle/building and when you proceed between sites.
- Have your key/access card ready in hand to quickly access the door of your vehicle/building.
- If strangers approach you, maintain a distance and be observant. If they are in a vehicle, get the license plate number, if possible.
- Lock doors and windows of your room/building. Do not prop open doors or let strangers inside.
