Mistaken weapons and service bell bandits: Campus Crime Beat — October 2019
Robbery, theft, and a weapon complaint were some of the crimes reported to UAPS this October
Randy SavoieAre spies trying to steal top-secret U of A research?
Over the month of October, there have been two break-ins at the Research Transition Facility. During the first break-in, personal items and laptops were stolen. University of Alberta Protective Services (UAPS) believes it was the same perpetrator for both incidents, as the break-ins occurred in the same area. The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) brought in their forensic unit and UAPS is waiting to hear back.
Considering that the Research Transition Facility houses the department of biomedical engineering, maybe it’s time to start the conspiracy that these break-ins were an attempt to steal coveted research?
Forensics catches serial Humanities break-and-enterer
According to UAPS, there has been a series of break-and-enters in Humanities over the past few months.
However, at the last break and enter occurring October 2, the EPS brought in their forensic unit and identified a serial break-and-enterer on campus. UAPS is not sure if a warrant has been issued for this individual.
Why would one want to continuously break into Humanities? Perhaps they find comfort in the drab colours or has a fondness for poorly-funded university buildings.
Bus drivers — the unofficial guardians of campus
On October 13, a group of students were studying in an ECHA room and decided to leave for a break. Coming back, they found a man in the midst of stealing their belongings. The students then followed the man as they couldn’t quite call the police with their phones in his hands.
As they followed the man in an attempt to get their belongings back, the man proceeded to push one of the students down, transforming the theft into a robbery. Thankfully, a bus-driver witnessed the altercation and called the police, who later identified that suspect. Unfortunately, the student’s belongings were not recovered, but thank god for bus drivers — not only do they get us to campus, but they’re always ready to serve a big ol’ slab of justice.
Can I have some service, please?
At Enterprise Square, a man walking by an information desk managed to swipe their service bell. The staff tracked down the man and managed to return the bell to its rightful home. Now, it’s ringing continues to fill Enterprise Square, symbolizing not only freedom but also prompt customer service.
My neighbour might be planning to kill me….. with Peppa Pig?
A fellow HUB resident saw what they believed were weapons in another resident’s suite. However, when UAPS entered the suite, it turned out to be not even replicas of weapons, but rather just kids toys. Hey, better safe than sorry, right?
Hide yo laptops, hide yo bikes ‘cause they stealing everything out here
This month, there has been a high rate of thefts on campus, with UAPS receiving 44 reports of thefts. The thefts have predominantly targeted cable locked bikes, but there have also been reports of the classic cellphones, unattended backpacks, laptops, and wallets stolen. To reduce thefts, UAPS suggests locking office doors, not leaving valuables unattended or relying on others to watch them.
If you notice any suspicious activity on campus, call University of Alberta Protective Services at (780) 492-5050, or Edmonton Police Services at (780) 423-4567. In an emergency, call 911.
