Many students, staff and faculty are aware of the recent incident on the Wilkes University campus involving a robbery which occurred during a monetary transaction.

The robbery took place on Jan. 23 at approximately 8:45 p.m., according to a notice issued by Public Safety. The student involved posted an item for sale online and arranged to meet a responder toward the rear of University Towers on South Main Street.

Two individuals met the student; one grabbed him and before the transaction was complete both suspects fled the scene with the stolen property.

In response, Public Safety took swift action and is providing students with a safer alternative for these types of transactions to occur, directly in the lobby of the public safety office.

Officer Christopher Jagoe, director of Public Safety, stated that this would prevent robberies, since public safety would be present.

“Criminals don’t want to be caught, they don’t want to be apprehended,” he said.

Jagoe also shared that this was the first time that an incident like this has occurred, but that once was enough.

“I’d rather be a little more proactive than reactive to things… I hope students, faculty, staff, whoever, whether it’s daytime or nighttime, if they want to do something like this, it’s very safe in a public place.”

However, when asked if he received any positive feedback from students specifically on campus, Jagoe said he had not.

When asked, students Aaron Baratta, Alyssa Schuler, and Jenna Skrinak all voiced similar stances regarding the new policy.

“Public Safety shouldn’t have to provide for a poor decision,” said Baratta, “Wilkes-Barre isn’t the safest place, after all.”

Schuler, much like Baratta, voiced a similar opinion.

“I don’t believe they should have to provide for that. The student was obviously an older student because they were living in Towers… It’s not like they were a freshman,” she said.

Jenna Skrinak also agreed.

“No, I don’t feel that they should have to do that.”

The incident, aftermath and voiced opinions raise a very intriguing question: Does one need protection when completing a transaction or should one be a bit more scrupulous? Perhaps a bit of both has never done any harm.