Daily Nebraskan

Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Teresa Prince Jessica Ahearn and Stephen Crittenden walk their dogs Lita and Lana on the trail by Oak Lake Park in Lincoln. Ahearn said she never goes on the trails without Crittenden; even her dog Nita is not enough protection. She said men have chased her down before. [Click to enlarge]

On Aug. 27, one woman and two men were assaulted on bike trails in the Lincoln downtown area within miles of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's campus.

Although no UNL students were involved in any of the incidents, safety on the city's bike trails has become a concern for parts of the community.

In 2006, 81 incidents on Lincoln bike trails were reported to police, according to an e-mail from Officer Katherine Finnell of the Lincoln Police Department. This year, Finnell said, 61 cases have been reported to police thus far.

Finnell said many of the incidents were larcenies in which items were stolen from cars parked next to bike trails. However, she said some of the incidents were assaults and sex offenses, including attempted rape.

Sgt. Doug Petersen of University Police said while some of Lincoln's bike trails are near UNL's campus, he said he couldn't recall a time in his career when University Police were called to investigate a situation on any of the trails.

However, Petersen did offer some advice to UNL students hoping to stay safe while biking.

"Make sure there are lights on your bike and travel in pairs or more," Petersen said. "And always be aware of your surroundings."

"If I was a girl, I'd be scared to bike at night," said Damon Olson, a senior French and pre-med major at UNL.

Olson said he heard about the incidents on Lincoln's trails earlier this year and was a "little weary" about other students' safety while biking.

However, Olson said he just recently busted out his Schwinn and plans to check out some of Lincoln's trails without fear of assault.

Despite the recent bike trail assaults, crime statistics released by the Lincoln Police Department in January 2007 revealed crime in Lincoln declined 4 percent in 2006 compared to 2005.

Finnell said 2006 was the fifth consecutive year of declining crime in Lincoln. And, she said, crime has been declining steadily since rates spiked in 1991.

ryanboetel@dailynebraskan.com

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