Be ready when South Capitol creep returns

Sharing summer nights with worries about a creep peeking through your window or coming into your house is more than unsettling. It’s downright frightening. Santa Fe’s South Capitol neighborhood is on edge, worried that the man known as the “South Capitol Creep” is back.

Last year, three cases were reported in the neighborhood which a man entered the homes of women while they were cooking, taking a shower or in bed. The incidents then involved the man exposing himself, even touching some of the women. When they screamed, he fled.

This summer, an intruder climbed over a wall to enter a woman’s yard. He was not wearing a shirt and fondled himself. The woman broke a stick over his back — and good for her. The man then ran away. In a second incident, a woman was lying in bed, watching a movie on her laptop, when she glanced up and saw a person in the street about five feet from her bedroom window. She rushed to see if she could get a better description, but the man ran away.

Now, residents of the area are holding meetings, putting up posters detailing the attack and, best of all, holding selfdefense instruction so that women will have more confidence in fighting back. We would caution, though, that it might be best to stay as far away as possible from an intruder — a potential victim won’t have to fight physically if the creep does not get close enough to grab him or her.

That means ensuring that peeping Toms, burglars and the like don’t get in the house. Because so many South Capitol homes lack air conditioning, residents often open doors and windows at night. That is unsafe, given reports of these incidents. Room fans or portable air conditioners can keep the house cool without leaving the people asleep inside vulnerable. For those who feel they have to open windows, at least ensure that screens are locked and secure. Get a dog — barking dogs will warn humans in the house that all is not well. Use motion-sensor lights, too, so that any lurking individual will be spotted. And when you see suspicious activity, telephone police.

What we hope happens, of course, is that police catch this guy. It is unsettling to worry that a stranger can come into the house and touch you while you sleep or shower. Invasions can escalate, too, and that’s always a concern. We don’t want to see someone assaulted while they should be safe at home. All people deserve a restful sleep.

It’s admirable that neighbors are finding a few positives in this threatening situation. The bonds that neighbors are forming — talking to one another, putting up fliers and working on self-defense strategies — are the kind that will outlast this current unpleasant situation. Residents should form or reactivate Neighborhood Watch groups, where citizens look out for one another, spotting creeps before they have the opportunity to break in. (For information about groups, call or email Santa Fe police Lt. Marvin Paulk at 505-955-5032 or mlpaulk@santafenm.gov.) Friends can take self-defense classes together — not just a few hours at a park, but longer study that will increase a sense of safety for any person who learns basic defense techniques.

It is unfortunate that the women of Santa Fe have to be afraid, whether at home or walking in their neighborhoods after dark. But with the creep back in action, women of South Capitol should be extra careful. As the woman who used her stick to good use said: “You can break into our homes. You can violate us. But you can’t make us into victims.”

No one in South Capitol is a victim. These neighbors are staking claim to their streets with positive steps that will turn strangers into friends.