The month of January kept Campus Security busy responding to thefts, disturbances and attempted abductions.
Campus Security was compelled to warn students by email of a suspicious male who approached a female student and demanded she get into his van.
“After we issued the warning it prompted other students to come forward who reported a similar experience,” said Campus Security manager Lanny Fritz, noting the suspect is still at large.
“It was a pretty typical month,” Fritz explained. “Theft will always be our biggest problem. We had 13 offences of theft under $5,000 in January.”
Fritz stressed the importance of never leaving valuables unattended.
“Students find a comfortable place to study, then get up to a get a coffee and come back to find things missing,” he said.
More of the month’s lowlights included a disturbance caused by a man seeking petitions against the 2010 Olympics during the federal elections forum. He was escorted out of the building before receiving a ban from campus.
The University’s Swimming Club office was broken into and their safe, filled with cash and cheques, was stolen. Police have since made an arrest.
Security officers also dealt with a patron at the Den who went behind the bar and began smashing bottles and glasses. He was escorted out and the police were called to assist in the matter.
Looking forward, Fritz hopes students will take care while driving on icy winter roads and encouraged them to take advantage of the SafeWalk program.
Beyond their day-to-day duties, Campus Security has been moving forward on a number of safety initiatives, including creating a comprehensive Emergency Response Plan. The thorough plan is in place to respond to any number of emergencies.
“We’ll be prepared for anything from chemical spills to water damage to serious blizzards” explained Fritz.
The plan, which contains input from all levels of the university, including students, borrows from the experiences of campuses in Louisiana who were hit by Hurricane Katrina, as well as schools which were used following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York.