Shooting triggers re-evaluation of Student Conduct Code

The Dec. 10 shooting on 17th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 55th Street was the latest in a string of violence this past fall, which has raised concerns of students, residents and police officials alike.

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[HTML_REMOVED]List of Recommendations from Vicky Stormo, chief of the University of Washington Police Department, and Eric Godfrey, vice provost for student life: [HTML_REMOVED][HTML_REMOVED]

• Dial 911 immediately to report suspicious activity and/or people to the police.

• Follow your gut instincts. If you feel at risk, leave the situation

quickly and call the police for help.

• Walk in small groups and go directly to your destination.

• If hosting a party or social gathering, control the event by only

admitting people you specifically invited. Regulate access in and out of the house by locking doors and having a specific entry/exit place.

• Help your event have a low profile by moderating the music level.

• Do not advertise your party on the Internet (Myspace, Facebook, etc.), or with fliers or decorations outside the party location.

• Do not allow people to congregate or loiter outside your house.

• Consume alcohol responsibly and legally. Excessive consumption of alcohol can reduce your ability to make safe decisions or to recognize dangerous situations and respond appropriately.

For more information, call University Police Crime Prevention at

206-543-9338 or email at uwpolice@u.washington.edu

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Daravout Bopha was taken to Harborview Medical Center after being shot in the head by 17-year-old Sabastiano Vaiese. Vaiese will be tried as an adult for attempted first-degree murder. The two men got into an argument the morning of Dec. 10 outside a house party on 17th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 55th Street. The shooting occurred at 2:14 a.m.

Several neighbors called police in the hours leading up to the shooting to file noise complaints, including a 911 call at about 12:30 a.m., but there was no police response until after the shooting.

Due to another shooting on Capitol Hill the same night, North Precinct patrol cars were stretched thin, said North Precinct Commander Captain. Mike Washburn at a meeting with residents of the University Park Community Club (UPCC).

"The rise in violent incidents in the neighborhood north of campus is intolerable," wrote UW President Mark Emmert wrote in a statement released to students and faculty in the wake of the shooting.

The shooting has prompted the UW to look further into the proposal for an extended Student Code of Conduct [HTML_REMOVED] a consideration that has been ongoing for months [HTML_REMOVED] which would apply to students living off as well as on campus.

The extended Code of Conduct has been brought up by members of the UPCC concerned with the welfare of both students and residents in the area north of Northeast 45th Street.

Emmert will take recommendations at the end of this month, and UPCC will comment on a draft of the report before it is finalized.

"Our students and our neighbors deserve to live in a peaceful and safe environment," Emmert wrote. "We fully support the efforts of the Seattle Police Department and the University Police Department to arrest and bring to justice those responsible for recent violent acts."

The area north of Northeast 45th Street has been a problem for Seattle PD and UWPD for quite some time now. Last year the "North of 45th" working group met weekly to discuss the issues plaguing the area, from vandalism to gang crime, said Vicky Stormo, chief of UWPD.

"It's still an ongoing process," Stormo said. "At the beginning of this year, UWPD increased our Incident Prevention Teams (IPT) from three nights a week to five nights a week."

Incident Prevention Teams are a team of two officers who patrol the area north of 45th between the hours of 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Stormo recommended that students be more aware of who they attract to their house parties to avoid violent conflicts.

Reach Daily reporter Arla Shepherd at arlashepherd@thedaily.washington.edu