An SMU student was assaulted Monday on the second level of theAirline parking garage. The incident took place at around 10:30p.m. The victim was attacked from behind and in an attempt toescape, the victim kicked the assailant in the groin. The man fledthe garage.

The suspect was a brown-haired white male described as 5 feet 11inches tall with a muscular build.

The victim waited approximately 40 minutes before contacting SMUpolice.

“As soon as the information got to us, we were all overthe place,” SMU Police Chief Michael Snellgrove said.”Hopefully we got an image on camera,” Snellgrove said.”We are covering the time lapses for anyinformation.”

Cameras are only at the entrances and exits of the garages, andthere are telephones on every level of the garages, he said.

The emergency telephones, which are located throughout thecampus, dial directly to the SMU police department and send asignal from the location.

“[The calls] are treated as a priority,” Snellgrovesaid.

Although there are three officers on duty at all times, studentsare concerned with their safety.

Female students are concerned with campus safety measures andtake certain precautions to ensure their safety.

“I stay in as much lighting as possible and I always havemy cell phone,” first-year dance major Alex Karigan said.

Karigan worries about her safety when she has to walk late atnight to her residence hall.

“The lighting is really poor, so I call a friend and talkto them on the walk,” she said.

SMU police have taken measures to inform students of theincident. Signs have been posted in the parking garages throughoutthe campus, and e-mails have been sent to students.

“This is the first incident of this kind [for the schoolyear],” Snellgrove said.

Last year three incidents of aggravated assault were reported,but that number was up from 2001 when there were no reports ofaggravated assault.

The SMU police department offers classes in self-defense forstudents who are interested. The classes begin Oct. 2 and will beoffered every Thursday in the Dedman Center mat room from 5:15 to6:00 p.m.