The recent string of stranger sexual assaults both on the University Park campus and in State College have caused many to question how safe the Penn State community is, particularly for female students. Some women on campus are now carrying pepper spray and taking other safety measures to make sure they are not the next victims.

Fortunately, women across campus are not alone in their attempt to avoid being the latest statistic. Penn State Police Services' plan to put female undercover officers on the sidewalks of campus and increase patrols around academic buildings late at night is a proactive attempt to curb sexual assaults.

The use of undercover officers to fight crime is not a new tactic for Penn State police. But this is the first time the officers have been utilized to help combat the increasingly prominent problem of sexual assault on campus. This new use of undercover officers will be helpful in catching perpetrators, and also will also give piece of mind to students walking at night on campus. These new measures show Penn State security personnel are serious about this issue, which weighs so heavily on the minds of the student body.

Police have no suspects in any of the five incidents of stranger sexual assaults that have occurred in the State College area since June.

However, that does not mean officers are not working hard to both solve the cases and make sure more unsolved cases do not keep piling up. They are trying to stop the attacks before they even occur.

More does need to be done so the suspects in these cases are apprehended, and other security measures should be explored. But the current ideas are a big step forward. Just one more attack is one too many.

The increased security presence and use of new tactics, along with the planned release of the descriptions of suspects and announcement to the student body as a whole that the increased security will occur, are a testament to the fact that police are trying to keep University Park safe.

They deserve praise from students for hearing our concern and responding with such strong measures. Hopefully, the measures will be effective.