Editorial: UConn Police did commendable work with false claim

On Friday evening, all UConn students received an alert about a reported sexual assault on campus in the vicinity of North Eagleville Rd. and Glenbrook Rd. A group of two to five men allegedly struck a woman with a skateboard and then sexually assaulted her around 12:10 a.m. The UConn Police reacted swiftly, releasing an alert to all students along with an article Saturday morning in the Associate Press asking for anyone with information to please call and stay alert for “suspicious or criminal activity.”

Later that evening, at approximately 11 p.m., another alert went out to the student body reporting that the allegations were false. What surely followed was a private damnation (partly because her name was never released) of the woman. After all, rape is nothing to laugh at or fake. Her actions threatened to undo the efforts of feminist events like the “Slut Walk” and “Take Back the Night.” While motivation for her actions remains unknown, one thing about the situation is certain: we can take pride in the actions of the UConn Police.

We tend to look at situations like this from the alleged victim’s standpoint. Try looking at it from the police’s standpoint: they received a call from a woman in distress in the early hours of the morning, they immediately responded, they released an alert to the campus asking for information and extra caution, uncovered the supposed victim’s false accusation after corroborating her story with video evidence and less than 24 hours after their first alert reporting the crime, released a second alert relieving everyone’s concern. Their actions should be commended for their efficiency and students should be glad that the alert system worked as intended.

It’s easy to only focus on one woman’s false claim of sexual assault, but the people who protect the students on campus deserve commendation for their extremely fast and efficient response. Consider the possibility of an actual rape on campus. The police would have acted just as rapidly and just as competently as during a false report. After all, they believed it was an honest claim until Saturday night.

That the UConn police officers are constantly there to investigate and watch the dark places of the campus is something the average student takes for granted. For their successful alert system and swift, efficient response, we are grateful.