Assailants rob three students at gunpoint

University Police believe the same four people committed the robberies. Three students -- including two freshmen -- were robbed at gunpoint near campus early Wednesday morning, marking the first major crimes involving weapons against students this semester. No one was injured in either incident, and police suspect that the same four people committed all of the robberies. The first robbery occurred at 36th and Walnut streets shortly before 2:30 a.m. when a man wielding a handgun robbed two male freshmen of $60 in cash. The suspect -- described as a black male approximately 20 years old, 5'3", 130 pounds and wearing a white T-shirt and black pants -- stepped out of a maroon Chrysler minivan containing three other people, according to the statement the students gave to police. Less than ten minutes later, another man got out of a car matching the same description and robbed a male senior of $35 in cash at 39th and Pine streets. The suspect was described as a black man, approximately 17 years old, 5'10", 170 pounds and wearing a light bandana, white tank-top and dark shorts. University Police are unsure of the identities of the other occupants of the minivan. One victim reported seeing two females and two males while another victim claimed that all four occupants were men. While the incidents may be particularly alarming to many students because of their proximity to student residences and to the center of campus, University Police stress that they are better prepared than ever before to prevent crime against students. Since last fall, the University has doubled the size of its detective division -- from four to eight members -- and added 19 officers to the force, according to Detective Commander Tom King, who is himself a recent addition to University Police. King added that the police department's bike patrol squad also doubled in size during the past year, and there are now 16 officers and three sergeants on bike patrol. University Police have also deployed a Special Response Team and a Tactical Bike Patrol during the past year. Both of these forces operate from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m., the period when most crimes occur. The SRT is not limited to specific patrol boundaries and, because its members typically respond only to high-priority radio calls, its members are able to focus on preventing late-night crime.