ALLENDALE, Mich. -- A new year, and a new move in day for students at Grand Valley State University. But many Lakers – and their parents especially – are keeping in mind the scary spike in sexual assault cases near the Allendale campus this time last year.
“There were five incidents altogether within the span of about 4 weeks,” said Capt. Mark Bennett of the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department.
All of the incidences involved young women who were assaulted near the school. But progress on the investigations have stalled.
“The cases themselves at this point need some investigative leads to move forward,” said Capt. Bennett.
Bennett says every single member of his detective bureau has had some had in investigating the cases, but nothing has worked. They’ve poured over hundreds of hours of video, interviewed victims, and partnered closer with the school – but it hasn’t; worked.
“Incidences like this, you know, cause you to reevaluate some of these things and maybe reprioritize,” said Bennett. “You have to learn from incidents you’re involved in and the key point to us is we continue to be good community partners.”
Which is what the department hopes to do while they continue looking. They placed representatives on a newly formed multi-disciplinary team made up of officers, members of the prosecutor’s office, and representatives from the school and surrounding community.
