Peeping Toms continuously targeting The Hill
At the University of Colorado Boulder, students compete to find the perfect house on “The Hill”. The Hill is a neighborhood right next to CU, where there is food, entertainment, and shopping. It is a popular spot for students to live, and competition is so intense that many students begin looking for leases in October before the following school year.
Although The Hill may seem like the perfect place to live, there are some drawbacks that many people may not think of when they sign their leases. Over the past few months, “Peeping Toms” have been targeting young women on The Hill.
One student, Channing Wright, has been experiencing this problem since the beginning of the summer.
“One night we had gone out, and one of my friends from out of town called me asking where to meet, and she told me some guy told her that she was in front of the Chi Omega house, and that she told me that this random guy was trying to hang out with her. I just thought, ‘Oh, ok, that’s weird I’ll come find you,” Wright stated.
Wright describes how this man stayed a few steps behind her and her friends throughout the night. He would ask them if he could go to parties with them, but the girls would politely decline. Finally, the girls were able to lose the man, and they went home. However, their problems soon returned.
“We had to call the cops that night because there was a fight between some guys. We go to escort the cops out, and I open the door and this guy is standing at the door... He started to talk about God, and he told us he needed to talk to us about the word of God, and he was saying really creepy stuff. He wouldn’t leave, so the cops escorted him home, so then it was over,” Wright stated.
However, Wright’s problem was not over. This man kept returning to Wright’s home, and he was not ashamed of it. One night, she caught him flashing a light into her home, and when she screamed, he did not even flinch and he stayed where he was.
Wright is not the only person who has experienced Peeping Tom issues. Evan Noyes, a student at CU Boulder and a resident on The Hill has had different kinds of experiences with Peeping Toms.
“One time, my neighbor was at my house, and her roommates called her and said that they saw a peeping tom at their house. I ran to see if I could catch him, but he was gone before I could get there,” Noyes stated.
Noyes went on to explain how he often checks out his neighbor’s house if he’s walking by to make sure that no one is there. He is very concerned for his neighbor’s safety, and he tries to look out for them as much as he can.
“My neighbors at the corner are scared, one of them, in fact, calls me to walk her home and to her front door to make sure that she is safe, no matter what time of the day,” Noyes said.
Wright and Noyes both explained how these Peeping Toms look like normal guys from the outside, but you never know what they’re capable of.
Sarah Williams, assistant director of the Office of Victim Assistance (OVA) at CU Boulder, explains how like other criminals, a Peeping Tom could be anyone. Although mental health could be a factor in this behavior there are other factors as well.
“We live in a culture that objectifies women and supports that, and also thinking about the messages people receive growing up about women and men and gender roles. I think these things are very problematic regardless of mental health. We might have someone who presents very well and functioning, but is affected with all these other cultural pieces,” Williams stated.
The Hill seems to be a popular place for Peeping Toms to perpetrate. There have been multiple cases over the past months of other women experiencing similar situations.
Williams explains how The Hill is a condensed space of college students, which may be why these men decide to hang around in this neighborhood.
“I could see how if somebody is perpetrating, that how targeting The Hill would make sense because it is a condensed space of college students who I imagine people know that sometimes their not locking their doors and that people might be more vulnerable. There’s a lot of people in a small amount of space and it would be a place where it makes sense for somebody to target based on the population,” Williams stated.
Wright has contacted the police on many occasions. She explained how she did not think the Boulder Police department really cared about her situation.
Williams explained that people might have many different experiences when calling the police about a Peeping Tom.
“I’ve had people who have had experiences where it is documented, and then the victim of the case doesn’t feel very validated by the response from the officers, and then that in itself can minimize the experience and decrease the likelihood that someone will continue to call for support. I’ve had others who have felt a very strong response from law enforcement, and have had law enforcement do patrols in the area, and do more of that type of check-in to make sure that people feel safe. So, I’ve seen both responses,” Williams stated.
Wright is now living in caution due to the Peeping Tom situation. She often looks outside of her window to make sure no one is outside watching. She also bought pepper spray and Taser guns for protection.
“I get scared, and I think what if there’s somebody in the bushes. I’m overly aware, checking everywhere all the time; I always look out my window to see if there’s somebody down there. It’s scary living with all girls because they get obsessed with that,” Wright stated.
Although Wright is scared, she also feels that this situation has helped her become more proactive. The Peeping Tom has been a setback for her this year, however she is learning how to take care of the situation and possibly avoid it in the future.
“When I first moved in here the summer, I wasn’t conscious of my surroundings, or conscious about locking doors and being aware of who was around my house, and leaving blinds open. Now, I’ve realized we live in a bubble and we think bad things don’t happen when they really do. You have to be conscious and careful because its better to be proactive than reactive, and we were just being reactive. Now I’m more aware,” Wright stated.
