Fernando Martinez was arrested on Nov. 16 for a robbery he had allegedly committed that morning, according to the Cambridge Police log. He was charged with robbery, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest.
A suspect in the Yard robbery—in which a man unaffiliated with the University was robbed at gunpoint outside of Thayer Hall on Nov. 11—was arraigned on Nov. 12.
Cambridge police says that increased communication with other police departments facilitated several arrests of suspects involved in the October and November crime spree.
SAFE NOW?
Catalano acknowledges the spike in crime, but says he is confident in the safety of Harvard’s campus.
“Harvard is a safe campus in a safe city that experienced a spike in violent crime,” Catalano says.
Pforzheimer House Master Nicholas A. Christakis echoes these sentiments. While two crimes in the October and November spree occurred near the Quad on Shepard Street, he says the shuttle service provides a safe transportation option for students.
“I think [the campus] is as safe as one can hope for in a urban environment. I think it’s great that we can provide shuttle service. We can always provide more shuttle service,” Christakis says.
Indeed, despite the increase in robberies, one student said he never felt at risk.
“I still feel safe even though I see the alerts,” Christopher M. Goldstein ’13 says. “It hasn’t happened to me.”
Harburg adds that Harvard’s transparency about the crimes shows that the University is committed to student safety.
“In general, it seems like Harvard has been really good at making us feel safe,” Harburg said. “It’s good that they’re willing to share that experience with us and not keep us naïve to it.”
—Sirui Li, Monika L. S. Robbins, Hana N. Rouse, and Heng Shao contributed to the reporting of this article.
—Staff writer Kerry M. Flynn can be reached at kflynn@college.harvard.edu.
—Staff writer Xi Yu can be reached at xyu@college.harvard.edu.