A police cruiser patrolled the deserted streets of the Sugar Creek subdivision on Wednesday. It was a rare sign of life in the pretty little development carved out of the prairie behind the Brighton police station.
After two rapes last week, there’s a siege mentality in the neighborhood where shades are drawn and the split-level houses are under lockdown even on a sunny, warm spring day.
Except for one daring resident who took her terrier for a walk amid the flowering trees, the womenfolk were in deep seclusion.
The sidewalks and running trails were vacant.
“Absolutely do not be out alone at night,” Police Chief Clint Blackhurst warned women at two packed community meetings Monday night. “These are violent predators.”
For sure.
But if the Sugar Creek residents didn’t feel powerless and vulnerable before the tense community meetings, surely they must have by the time the cops gave their hide-the-women speech.
Really now, is that all we can expect from a police force headquartered two blocks from the crime scene?
Jill McFadden, executive director of the Rape Assistance and Awareness Program of Denver, said the Brighton cops are taking the wrong approach.
“The onus should not be on the individual to make sure she’s not raped,” she said. “We don’t want to have to have women lock themselves up in their own homes.”
Instead, the emphasis for the community, especially the police, should be on tracking the offenders.
Fear makes women more vulnerable, and sex offenders more powerful, McFadden explained. “The perpetrators tend to anticipate women’s fears. They expect a fear-based response.”
They count on it.
That’s why RAAP teaches personal safety skills to women, focusing on both physical and emotional skills that can help them protect themselves. (Call 303-329-9922 for details.)
When women surprise attackers with a loud, forceful voice and a direct, demanding response, they are less likely to be victimized, McFadden said.
“There are no guarantees, but the way we talk about it is to learn to be aware of your surroundings, to move with confidence with your head and your eyes up, and to be very present when you’re walking anywhere,” she said.
When a rapist is loose in the community, she explained, residents should work together. They should let each other know where they are going and when they expect to be home.
Instead of barricading the doors and hiding the women, in fact, they should do just the opposite. They should hit the streets.
People need to get outside in greater numbers, move about deliberately, watch for anything unusual, keep an eye on each other and respond immediately to any calls for help.
Richard Kelly, the police chief’s assistant, said the suggestion that women stay inside was made because “this is an extraordinary situation.”
Brighton has not had a serial rapist for as long as anybody can remember, he said, and a gang of three working together is unprecedented.
“We take this very seriously,” he said. “We’re following every tip we get, and we have several detectives and several officers working full time on this case.”
In an attempt to generate more leads, the Brighton City Council even voted this week to add $10,000 to the $1,000 private donation for a reward for anyone whose cooperation leads to the arrest and conviction of the three suspects.
“The entire city is anxious to get this situation taken care of,” Kelly said.
That’s understandable. But instead of cowering inside their shuttered homes waiting for the cops to find a clue, they need to get a grip. They need to spill out onto their front porches, introduce themselves to their neighbors and make their powerful presence known.
They need to take back the night.
Diane Carman’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. She can be reached at 303-820-1489 or dcarman@denverpost.com.
