Oracle Online

The Safety and Security Office was alerted to the issue and proceeded to do research about Stevens. They found out that he had a previous conviction for stalking a female gymnast from Henry Sibley High School in June of 2001. Stevens was sentenced to 12 months in jail and 5 years probation. At some point Stevens violated his probation and served the rest of his sentence in prison. He was released May 3, 2005.

His recent visits have now associated him with indecent exposure. On Friday, Feb. 24 he was seen masturbating outside of Osborn Hall. What is Hamline doing to prevent this offender from entering campus again? Stevens has also been seen on other Twin Cities campus throughout the year. Why is he still around, potentially harassing college students?

“My officers are looking for this guyč we’d love to catch him,” said Director of Safety and Security Shirleen Hoffman. This is not enough. Unfortunately, in order for the police to enforce any consequences on Stevens “we have to catch him committing a crime,” she said. “Officers can not go to his home and arrest him.”

We wonder what else could be done to prevent him from returning to our campus. Understandably, we can’t simply shut the doors and not allow him back, but if he’s got such a presence on multiple campuses that people can recognize him in a crowd, then he’s obviously a threat to our safety. He has escalated from stalking a high schooler to masturbating outside a college dorm; what’s next?

If a student is willing to testify that Stevens was indecently exposing himself, can’t the police act then? We understand that the legal system dictates certain processes, but can’t something be put into action to prevent this guy from entering Hamline’s campus? Our Security office needs to be more proactive in the situation. “Looking for this guy” is not enough.

We need more action to be done to prohibit Stevens’ interaction with the community. We urge students, along with Safety and Security, to call 911 the minute they see him back on campus. After calling, then proceed to call the Safety and Security Office.

In a small campus in the middle of St. Paul, students have to remember to trust their instincts. If the situation looks bad, report it immediately. Don’t just ignore it and pretend it wasn’t weird.