A Harvard University Police Department cruiser sits outside of Quincy House. An increased police presence is one of the steps HUPD has taken after another student was groped near campus this week.

Following the fifth sexual assault near the Square this semester, administrators and Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) officials have begun to step up their response to students’ safety concerns.

Dean of the College Benedict H. Gross ’71 sent an e-mail to all students on Wednesday outlining safety precautions and stressing the University’s commitment to safety.

“The University takes its responsibility over the security of the campus very seriously, and the unusual number of reported assaults has prompted the University to take a number of steps,” Gross wrote in the advisory.

These steps include increasing the presence of police officers on campus and plans to start a new safety escort service to replace the now-defunct SafetyWalk.

Gross’ e-mail came a day after an early evening groping near Claverly Hall.

According to HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano, a student was walking on Mt. Auburn Street towards Claverly while the suspect was walking in the opposite direction, at around 5:40 p.m. Tuesday.

The suspect then touched the female student “in an inappropriate manner,” Catalano said.

The suspect in Tuesday’s indecent assault was described as a 6’6” tall white male in his early 20s with a large build, dark eyes and light hair, and wearing a dark gray jacket.

HUPD has taken measures in response to the recent assaults, Catalano said.

“As a matter of policy we don’t comment on exact staffing levels or patrol techniques,” he said. “I can tell you we have dramatically increased our uniformed and plain clothed presence but I can’t give you exact numbers.”

And a new escort service organized through HUPD is in the works, Catalano said.

“We don’t know what the final product will look like. We like the idea of using students to conduct the escorts,” Catalano said. “But we will take a more active role in supervising the program and publicizing the program to the community.”

In the meantime, Catalano said students should walk in groups “when possible” and use shuttle and van services.

Gross said in an interview yesterday that the new service will pay students and include pairs of students who will act as escorts, but it won’t necessarily be an on-call service. Instead, students may walk to and from specific locations at designated time intervals.

“The problem with SafetyWalk was it was not heavily used and it was purely a student volunteer organization,” Gross said. “I guess if you sit in front of the phone long enough and it doesn’t ring, you’re not going to sit by the phone.”