Community Safety Advisory: Two Wake Forest students report incidents with Uber driver

by Betsy Chapman, Ph.D. ('92, MA '94)

Winston-Salem Police temporarily detained and questioned an Uber driver after two Wake Forest students reported being harassed in separate off-campus incidents.

A Wake Forest student reported that the driver solicited sex from her and exposed himself to her at about 3:30 a.m. As the incident was being investigated, a second student reported an incident to Winston-Salem police involving the same driver.

Winston-Salem Police located the driver and detained him for questioning. The case is still under investigation. These incidents are not related to previous reports of harassment of Wake Forest students.

University Police are working with Uber to suspend the driver’s system access and have increased patrols in the area around campus.

The driver’s license plate is in the University’s license plate recognition system to alert University Police if he enters Reynolda Campus. The individual has been banned from campus, and he will be arrested by University Police if he is caught trespassing.

If you have had an incident with an Uber driver, please notify University Police at 336.758.5591.

Safety resources

If you have been assaulted or harassed, please know that the situation was not your fault under any circumstances, and you did not ask or deserve for it to happen to you. Remember that you are not alone in dealing with the situation, and many resources are available to help.

To report a crime, call 911 if you are off campus. If you are on campus, call 336.758.5911 for an emergency and 336.758.5591 for non-emergency situations. You also can report through the LiveSafe app.

For confidential support and assistance related to sexual harassment, stalking, relationship violence and/or sexual assault, the Safe Office has a 24/7 helpline available at 336.758.5285.

Wake Forest offers an on-call shuttle service for students from 7 p.m. to midnight every night. To request a ride, call 336.283.1091.

Other safety tips are available on the University Police website.

Ride-sharing safety tips

If you choose to use a ride-sharing service, it is important to be as safe as possible. These guidelines can help:

  • Request your ride from indoors. Avoid lingering outside alone while looking down at your phone.

  • Check your driver’s rating. Be sure that your driver has prior experience and a good rating.

  • Share your trip with a trusted friend or family member. Share your whereabouts with someone other than who you’re with so they know when you make it home safely.

  • Confirm the car, license plate and driver before getting in. Be sure the information on your rideshare app about your driver matches the vehicle you get into.

  • Sit in the back seat. Sitting in the front seat increases your proximity and chance of contact with the driver.

  • Wear your seatbelt. Seatbelts are there to protect you in the event of an accident. Buckle up.

  • Keep your personal information confidential. There’s nothing wrong with conversing with your driver, just plan to leave your personal information out of the conversation.

  • Never pay cash. Taking out your wallet to tip may put you at risk of theft. Uber and Lyft offer the ability to tip through their app.

  • Know your surroundings. When you’re in an unfamiliar area, track your route on your own map to be sure the driver is taking you to the correct place.

Contact

To contact the Office of Family Engagement or Family Communications, please visit our contact page.

 

For mental health assistance: 336-758-CARE (2273) is a service that ensures someone will always be available (i.e., 24/7 M-F, weekends and university holidays) to provide caring and thoughtful consultation services for Wake Forest students in need of mental health assistance or support.