By Emily Senger
A vicious pitbull was found tied to some bushes near the library. The owner was located, and found to be about as agreeable as his canine companion. Both the man and his dog were banned from campus.
"Dogs that are on campus have to be walked on a leash," said Campus Security Manager Lanny Fritz.
He also noted that dogs tied up outside, in particular threatening dogs often garner complaints.
In a somewhat less dangerous animal incident, two officers rescued five ducklings that had fallen down a grate near the Olympic Oval, returning them safely to their mother duck. No doubt mother gives many thanks to the brave officers for saving her little babies.
On two separate occasions, laboratory chemical mishaps required intervention by Campus Security. During a lab experiment, a student had a sulfuric acid mishap, and sustained a significant chemical burn when sulfuric acid ran down the length of her arm.
"Despite safety precautions, accidents do happen. [Chemical burns in laboratories] happen about once or twice a year," commented Fritz. "She received treatment and will be just fine. The area was washed thoroughly with water and two of our officers walked her to Health Services for further treatment."
In another "chemical" related event, two non-students were found on campus in possession of marijuana and were turned over to the Calgary Police. Fritz noted that the amount of drugs in the individuals’ possession, coupled with the fact that they were not students, made them suspect to trafficking .
Theft is an ever-persistent problem on campus. Library Services reported that an unknown individual stole books and maps from the 1890s for suspected resale on the black market. In May, along with several missing books, unknown individual(s) also removed pages from other volumes containing survey and western geological map plates. Losses are estimated at $24,000. This is not an isolated incident and Calgary Police are now investigating this, and similar map thefts at other libraries and museums around Calgary.
"[Calgary Police] don’t have a suspect at this point," stated Fritz. "Maybe someone’s just working on a project. In this particular case it’s believed that it is for a collection," stated Fritz.
Fritz also noted that the high volume of people using the library creates a "natural surveillance" and makes thefts of this nature relatively rare.
The vending machines in several women’s washrooms around campus were also broken into. The money stolen is estimated to be in excess of $100. Students are warned to be on the alert for a suspect with pockets full of change who may attempt to sell feminine hygiene products and condoms at reduced rates. While the net loss of money was not great, Fritz says the time and effort required to replace the machines will be "annoying and cumbersome."
Campus Security also responded to two medical emergencies. In one instance, a male fell due to an epileptic seizure and struck his head on the ground, possibly breaking his jaw. Campus Security and EMS also attended to a five-year-old female in MacEwen Student Centre who was experiencing cardiac problems due to a malfunctioning pacemaker. The female was transported to hospital and is now fine.