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On-campus thefts incite action

By Bobby Karalla

By Bobby Karalla-->

Contributor

Published: Monday, November 29, 2010

Updated: Monday, November 29, 2010 11:11

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photo illustration by Albert Ramirez

The UTD Police Department is investigating the first two cases of automobile theft under Chief of Police Larry Zacharias.

A GMC truck was stolen from Lot C Oct. 28 and has not been recovered. A Dodge Ram with an ATV in the bed was stolen from the Research and Operations Center the next day.

Lieutenant Ken MacKenzie said the two incidents are most likely not related, and violence was not involved in either case.

Zacharias said the police plan to take steps to help prevent any future auto thefts by increasing student awareness of the issue.

"It's not a big spike in crime by any means, but any time we see it, it concerns us enough to try to get information out to everyone," Zacharias said.

Simple steps such as locking your car can prevent a possible theft, MacKenzie said.

"Fifty percent of the cars that are stolen had been left unlocked, and one out of every five cars had the keys in the car at the time of theft," he said.

MacKenzie recommends students keep any extra keys in their wallet or purse, rather than leaving them underneath their car, in their console or in their glove box.

An easy way to lessen the chances of a car being stolen is to have the Vehicle Identification Number, commonly known as the "VIN," etched into the car's windows, Mackenzie said.

UTD Police plan on etching VINs into students' windows for free in the spring. MacKenzie said having a VIN etched into a window could also save students 10 percent on their car insurance.

"We'd like every student on campus to come and get it done," he said.

MacKenzie said students should visit txwatchyourcar.com, a website that shows similar insurance benefits students could receive.

Safety brochures are always available at the UTD Police's office, Zacharias said. The department stresses that student involvement is vital in preventing further incidents.

"We can't keep crime low all by ourselves. It takes everybody being involved," Zacharias said.

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CRIME ALERT - Forcible fondling

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Posted 11/23/2010

It was reported to the Vanderbilt University Police Department that an assault (forcible fondling) occurred at         approximately 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 21, in an elevator in Medical Center North.

The victim reported that the subject got on the elevator at the same time as she did. As the subject was      leaving the elevator when it arrived at his requested floor, he reached out and touched the victim from behind. A search of the area was conducted, but the subject could not be located.

Suspect Description:  
Male, black, approximately 34-37 years old, 6’3” tall, bald, and weighing about 190 pounds.

At the time of the incident, the subject was wearing a white T-shirt and khaki pants.

If you have information relating to this or a similar incident, please call  the Vanderbilt University Police Department at 615-322-2745. If you wish to remain anonymous,  call Crime Stoppers at 74-CRIME (742-7463).

 

 

announcements

View Campus Crime Watch: November 11-16 in a larger map

7:30 p.m. update: Three more laptop thefts have been reported since Tuesday. One was stolen from a Darnall dorm room while the victim was napping.

Original post: Five more laptops were stolen between Thursday and Tuesday, continued a trend of on-campus thefts that began last month.

In light of the rash of property crimes, Vox encourages students to participate in the Metropolitan Police Department’s property registration program, For iPhone users, the MobileMe function allows users to track down a lost or stolen iPhone.

Thursday, November 11

10:30 PM – THEFT (ICC). An unknown person stole an unsecured jacket containing a cell phone. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

Friday, November 12

1:08 PM – THEFT (New Research Building). An unknown person went inside an office and stole a purse. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

Saturday, November 13

2:00 AM – DISORDERLY CONDUCT (Red Square). A suspect was observed urinating in public. The suspect was identified. No further action was taken.

4:00 PM – THEFT (Riverside Lounge). An unknown person stole a backpack containing a laptop, wallet and headphones. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

Sunday, November 14

1:40 PM – THEFT (Lauinger). An unknown suspect stole two laptops and a wallet. The case in under investigation.

Monday, November 15

10:00 PM – THEFT (3600 block of PROSPECT STREET NW). MPD reported that between 10:00 PM and 11:30 PM an unknown suspect/s stole a red scooter which was parked and locked in front of the location.

10:36 PM – DRUG VIOLATION (Harbin Patio). DPS received information regarding possible drug activity in the area. Some students were smoking, and the drugs and paraphernalia were confiscted and placed into evidence. The case has been forwarded to student conduct.

11:30 PM – STRONG-ARMED ROBBERY (Southwest Quad). An unknown male pushed the victim to the ground after attempting to grab her purse. The victim stated she injured her shoulder, hip and knee. The suspect fled the scene. MPD was notified and the case is under investigation.

Tuesday, November 16

12:00 AM – DRUG VIOLATION (New South). DPS received information regarding a smell of marijuana. The students were smoking, and the drugs and paraphernalia were confiscated and placed into evidence. The case has been forwarded to student conduct.

2:05 PM – THEFT (Lauinger). An unknown person stole a backpack containing a laptop, wallet and an iPod. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

8:47 PM – THEFT (Lauinger). An unknown person stole a backpack containing a laptop, passport, and a sweatsuit. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

To report an emergency, call the Georgetown Department of Public Safety at (202) 687-4343 or the DC Metropolitan Police Department at 911. To report other suspicious behavior, call the DPS tip-line at (202) 687-2320.

Sources: DPS Daily Crime Log [PDF], D.C. Metropolitan Police Department

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 18th, 2010 at 5:30 pm and is filed under News, Vox Populi. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

At least five people were held up on three campuses last week — at knife point at Loyola University Maryland and at gunpoint at both Towson University and the Essex campus of the Community College of Baltimore County.

Thursday evening two robberies occurred near-campus; however, the University body was not made aware of these incidents until an e-mail announcement was sent out on Friday morning.

At 8:30 pm Thursday evening, a graduate student’s fiancée was accosted by three suspects outside of her apartment in the 6300 block of Cabanne, located in University City.

Living on the University of Dayton campus warrants a sense of community from students, but undergraduates also need to be aware of the dangers that can take place, especially at parties.

Officials in UD's department of Public Safety said crime has increased this year, according to a Dayton Daily News article, and Chief of Police Bruce Burt said he encourages students to engage in safe behavior.

Amid a rash of violent crimes on and around campus, a group of students at Old Dominion University in Norfolk has begun a petition asking the school’s administration to change the on-campus gun ban, so that students and faculty alike can defend themselves without fear of expulsion or termination.

Public safety officials at area colleges and universities say students can take simple steps to avoid becoming the victims of criminals who come to campus looking for an easy target.

The majority of campus crimes are committed by non-students who come to campus looking for an opportunity, according to police chiefs at Wright State University, Sinclair Community College and the University of Dayton.

View Campus Crime Watch: October 19-26 in a larger map

Drug violations—and the ensuing arrests—took a prominent position in this week’s news coverage. However, theft remains the most prevalent type of crime on campus. Six reported incidents of laptop thefts occurred on campus in the past week, two of which occurred within minutes of one another on Sunday in Lauinger Library. (In total, four laptops were stolen on Sunday.)

While investigating a laptop theft in Village A on Tuesday night, Metropolitan Police Department Sergeant Nick Cook offered students some tongue-in-cheek advice.

“Look out for the guy running around with 17 Macbooks,” he said.

To report an emergency, call the Georgetown Department of Public Safety at (202) 687-4343 or the DC Metropolitan Police Department at 911. To report other suspicious behavior, call the DPS tip-line at (202) 687-2320.

Tuesday, October 19

12:26 AM – DRUG VIOLATION (Copley). An unknown substance and drug paraphernalia were confiscated. The case has been referred to student conduct.

10:48 PM – THEFT (Village A). An unknown person stole a secured bicycle by removing the lock. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

Wednesday, October 20

(No crimes reported.)

Thursday, October 21

1:30 AM – DRUG VIOLATION (Harbin). An unknown substance and drug paraphernalia were confiscated. The case has been referred to student conduct.

12:01 PM – THEFT (Leavey). An unknown person stole a secured bicycle by removing the lock. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

7:54 PM – THEFT (Medical-Dental Building). An unknown person stole a wallet containing cash, several credit cards, driver’s license and a check book.

Friday, October 22

2:45 AM – SEXUAL ASSAULT (3200 M Street NW). MPD reported a sexual assault in a parking garage.

Saturday, October 23

3:18 AM – DRUG VIOLATION (Harbin). An unknown substance and drug paraphernalia were confiscated. The students were identified. One non-student was barred. The case has been referred to student conduct.

4:35 AM – DRUG VIOLATION (Harbin). An unknown chemical substance and drug paraphernalia were confiscated. The students were identified. Two students were arrested and the drugs and paraphernalia were confiscated.

2:37 PM – THEFT (Dahlgren Chapel). An unknown person stole organ pipes from the organ instrument. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

3:36 PM – THEFT (Lauinger). An unknown person stole an unsecured laptop along with a wallet. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

Sunday, October 24

1:19 AM – DRUG VIOLATION (Village B). An unknown substance, drug paraphernalia and a fake id were confiscated. The case has been forwarded to student conduct.

2:28 PM – THEFT (Village C West). An unknown person stole an unsecured GoCard. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

4:45 PM – THEFT (Lauinger). An unknown person stole an unsecured laptop. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. (Incident No. 10-3149.)

4:45 PM – THEFT (Lauinger). An unknown person stole an unsecured laptop. No suspects or witnesses have been identified. (Incident No. 10-3151.)

5:24 PM – THEFT (Hariri). An unknown person stole an an unsecured wallet. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

6:26 PM – THEFT (Lauinger). An unknown person stole an unsecured laptop. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

8:00 PM – THEFT (Village C East). An unknown person stole a laptop from an unsecured residence. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

Monday, October 25

7:30 AM – THEFT (Copley Lawn). An unknown person stole a memorial plaque. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

4:44 PM – THEFT (Leavey Bookstore). An unknown person stole a bookbag from the shelf. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

Tuesday, October 26

6:30 PM – BURGLARY (Village A). An unknown person entered an unsecured apartment and stole a laptop computer. No suspects or witnesses have been identified.

7:15 PM – DRUG VIOLATION (Harbin). An unknown substance and drug paraphernalia were inside a room. The drug and paraphernalia were confiscated. The suspect was identified, arrested and taken to MPD Second District.

Sources: DPS Daily Crime Log [PDF], D.C. Metropolitan Police Department