Both local and campus police forces were beefed up for Homecoming weekend, but not even that extra presence prevented another sexual assault from happening.

At about 9 p.m. on Friday, a female was assaulted after a State College Area High School football game near Central Parklet.

This is the second sexual assault to take place in or near Central Parklet in a little more than a month.

We understand that police cannot be expected to be everywhere at every moment, but we hope that State College Police will continue to increase its presence in the hopes of preventing future assaults.

The recent number of sexual assaults is causing female
students to be afraid to walk alone at night, and an increased force will help alleviate some fears.

The State College Police Department should follow the lead of Penn State Police Services and increase its presence of uniformed officers. The department should also consider placing undercover, plain-clothed female officers so assailants could be apprehended and future assaults may be deterred.

It is through a joint effort of pre-emptive measures that future assaults can be prevented.

It's also important that State College Police refocus its energies on the priority of crimes in the area.

Yes, underage drinking is a problem, and yes, Homecoming is known for being an extremely alcohol-laced weekend, even more so than other home football game weekends.

But sexual assault is a crime that is more harmful than underage drinking, and it should be prioritized as such with police patrols.

Whether there has been an increase in the number of assaults or simply an increase in the number of reports of sexual assaults, it is important the local police force increase its presence to make students feel safer.

In addition, the entire community should come together to deal with this issue. We should foster an environment where victims feel comfortable coming forward to report theses crimes. We should realize that while it might be better not to walk alone at night, it is never the victim's fault when he or she is assaulted. And we should do everything in our power to stop more assaults from happening.