Campus crime, one last time

By Cam Cotton-O’Brien

Random nonsense added to the usual theft on campus after a non-student was encouraged by friends/booze to plunge into the pool fully-clothed, a man attempted to propose marriage to an athlete training in the Olympic Oval and a motorist took down a barricade erected two years ago by crashing into it.

In January, a non-student who was staying in residence ran into the Aquatic Centre, climbed up to the seven-metre diving board and jumped into the water, all without bothering to remove his socks.

Campus Security responded and the man was banned from the university for the night and escorted off campus.

A man who had become infatuated with an athlete in the Oval was also dealt with by security as he loitered around watching a practice.

“It was somebody struggling with mental health issues,” said Campus Security director Lanny Fritz. “So we talked to him and indicated where he might want to go for help and assistance and he left.”

In another mental-health related issue, Campus Infrastructure staff found an unknown person living in a locked electrical room in the Science Theatres.

A number of items, including clothing, food, reading material and drug paraphernalia were found in the room, which had been forcibly entered. This is not the first time that security has dealt with an instance such as this.

“We come across these situations a couple of times throughout the year,” said Fritz. “Most of the time we learn that they are people of no fixed address who have accessed the university [via] the LRT from the downtown area. We’ve [found] used syringes and used needles in the past.”

The motorist who attempted to drive north on Collegiate Road from 24 Ave NW–a route that has been inaccessible for two years–ran into the heavy metal gate that was barring the way, damaging the gate and vehicle in the process. The motorist escaped without injury, but was charged by police with careless driving.

Campus Security responded to an email tip about a ‘gang turf war,’ and found an assault had taken place in the Information Commons. The assault involved numerous people, resulting in three persons being banned from campus.

There was also a theft in the McMahon Stadium parking lot. A routine patrol by Campus Security resulted in the apprehension of an individual caught inside a car with a broken rear-side window and a gym bag set on the ground next to the vehicle. Campus Security turned the man over to city police.

The January/February security update also showed a substantial reduction in alcohol-related incidents from levels three years ago. This statistic was compiled using data from the first semester of each of those school years.

“We had something like a 49 per cent reduction in alcohol-related incidences over a period of four years, [measured] from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, each of those years,” said Fritz. “That’s pretty significant. We attribute it to the good management practices of the Student’s Union. In particular, we give a lot of credit to the [Den] identification scanner that flags people that have caused problems in the bar in the past.”

Fritz also warned students to guard their belongings closely when studying. Laptops are particularly vulnerable to theft.

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