Highschoolers getting high and making bank off lab equipment: Campus Crime Beat — December 2019

Highschoolers Hotboxing in ECHA

It’s always a struggle to fight for those coveted ECHA study rooms, but apparently your competition isn’t only other university students cramming for exams. 

A group of non-affiliated high school students were caught “jacking around” and smoking marijuana in an ECHA study room. University of Alberta Protective Services (UAPS) came and “shooed” the high schoolers away. 

Ah, to be young, cool and free… but please, smoke weed in the WEM parking lot and save the rooms for those of us who need to read 15 chapters for tomorrow’s midterm!

Research? Here’s another way to get rich off science

Over one weekend, a research lab in CCIS was accessed and a piece of equipment was stolen from the lab. 

The missing equipment was classified as a theft over $5,000. There were no signs of forced entry, so UAPS believes the door was left unlocked or ajar over the weekend. 

Maybe keep an eye out for a PCR machine or a microscope at your local pawnshops?

Tailgating at St. Joe’s College — but we’re not talking about the Superbowl

A non-affiliated male entered St. Joseph College Women’s Residence by tailgating a resident —  he followed a student into the residence after they unlocked the door.  

The male was then found sleeping in a resident’s dorm and upon his discovery, tried to escape. However, he was unsuccessful in his getaway and was apprehended and charged by the Edmonton Police Service (EPS).

Bob the Builder, can we blaze it?

A group of construction workers were observed smoking marijuana in a truck on their lunch break. A student called UAPS about the situation, but by the time they arrived on the scene, the workers were gone. 

They probably had to get back to renovating the good ol’ eyesore at the heart of our campus: the pharmacy dentistry building. Let’s just hope they weren’t operating any heavy machinery after!

Assault at the University LRT station

A student reported an assault to UAPS after witnessing a non-affiliated man attack another non-affiliated man on the platform of the University LRT station. 

When UAPS arrived, one of the males had left the scene and the victim didn’t want to report the assault to UAPS. 

High levels of trespassing on Campus

In the month of December, 110 counts of trespassing were reported by UAP.

James Elkow, an inspector with UAPS, said this isn’t unusual for the university. 

“It’s because we’re such an open campus and a lot of our buildings are open for 24-hours,” he said. 

The trespassing is mostly done by non-affiliated individuals, who also tend to steal unattended backpacks, laptops, and cellphones. This is why Elkow urges students not to leave their belongings unattended.  

“When I do my international students orientation in September, I always tell everybody….. that here you can’t leave anything unattended,” Elkow added. “You need to be mindful of your property, keep it in  sight and not rely on a stranger to look after it because they have no obligation to do so.”

“The minute you walk away and if they walk away, your stuff will be gone, and that happens more often than not.”