The University Heights area near UB's South Campus is known for fraternities, partying, and more recently, robberies.
At 6 a.m. on Monday, University Police received a phone call from a man who said he was being followed. Shortly after the call was made, the victim was robbed at gunpoint, though the gun was later found to be an imitation pistol. UPD caught the suspect within minutes of the initial call.
The suspect has been since identified as Dandre Martin, a 21-year-old Buffalo resident. After the arrest, police determined that Martin was in possession of stolen goods from at least three other robberies in the University Heights area. He has since been charged with second-degree robbery, criminal possession of a stolen weapon, four counts of criminal possession of stolen property, obstructing government administration, and resisting arrest.
"Because it was so early in the morning, there wasn't a lot of activity going on, so there were at least three policemen and a lieutenant at the scene," said Gerald W. Schoenle Jr., chief of University Police.
According to the incident's police report, the victim placed a call at 6:07 a.m. while walking by Main Street. During his call, he claimed that a young man was following him. At some point between 6:07 and 6:09 a.m., before the police got to the scene and made contact with the victim, Martin used an imitation pistol to hold the victim up at gunpoint and steal his cell phone. The entire incident was captured on a security camera.
By 6:15 a.m., Martin was seen at Main and Allenhurst Streets, running back toward the university dorms. He was arrested minutes later on Hayes Street and Goodyear Road. Police then confirmed that Martin possessed items stolen both from the victim and from houses in the University Heights area.
"We take crime very seriously. Chances are individuals committing crimes [on or around campus] will be videotaped by the cameras and arrested," Schoenle said. "There is actually a bigger crime problem on North Campus than South, which not a lot of people know. That being said, there are significant problems off-campus around UB South."
Since the University Heights area surrounding South Campus has experienced significant crimes in recent years, UPD works closely with Buffalo Police to try to keep students safe.
"We work with Buffalo Police; we discuss things with them all the time," Schoenle said. "Our investigators meet periodically, and in a case like this, we turned over all of our information to them because he was a part of a bigger string of crimes."
Despite efforts by UPD to keep Buffalo Police informed of problems around the South Campus, some students still feel unsafe.
Two students, Lisbon Avenue residents who wished to keep their names withheld, claim that there are still serious problems going on in neighborhoods nearby.
"I know it's a fun place to party and the rent's really cheap, but I don't think people know how bad it can get," said one Lisbon resident.
His roommate added that she didn't feel comfortable walking around at night without a large group of people.
Both of these students have lived on dorms on North Campus before renting a house this semester. After the recent string of robberies, the two "doubt they'll rent in University Heights again."
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