By Aiden Lynam, Lily Reed and Blace Carpenter
Graffiti reported on walls of stairwell in parking ramp A
At 7:21 a.m. on March 5, a Grand Rapids Community College Police officer was dispatched to Parking Ramp A when a complainant called to report graffiti on the walls of the interior stairwell of the parking ramp between levels three and four.
The graffiti included several expletives and an inappropriate drawing, as well as the words “EVIL”, and “ha u ha have 2 clean this.” The pictures were sprayed over five different walls using three different colors. The value of the damage is $250, and there are no current suspects.
Graffiti reported near College Park Plaza building
Vandalism was reported on a Consumer’s Energy control box near the College Park Plaza building on March 5. An officer was dispatched to view the damage at 1:13 p.m., where they found two pieces of graffiti done in silver marker on the control box.
The pieces were both illegible, and the damage done added up to $75. The complainant could not provide any information as to when the damage occurred, or any description of the offender. The graffiti was cleaned, and there are no current suspects.
Man transported to Butterworth Hospital due to leg pain after trespassing on GRCC Campus
After leaving the Library and Learning Commons on March 7, GRCC Police noticed a man carrying a trash bag and a duffle bag full of clothing who was singing loudly. Police recognized the man from previous interactions and approached the man near the heating vents at the ATC.
The man stated that he was tired and wanted to sleep. GRCC Police told dispatch where he was located and who he was talking to. The man had no record through the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) but had received a verbal warning after trespassing back in January.
Another GRCC Police officer arrived on the scene and the reporting officer issued a misdemeanor citation, the man stated that his leg was hit and needed an ambulance. Police notified dispatch and the American Medical Response ambulance arrived shortly after. When they met with the officers, they recognized the man and said, “…you just left Butterworth (Hospital).” The man requested he be taken back. All of his belongings and the citation were put into the ambulance and taken to the hospital.
Student’s car hit in Sneden Hall parking lot
On March 7 at 10:30 a.m., the GRCC Police responded to a report of a hit-and-run accident at the parking area of Sneden Hall.
The officer met with a GRCC student who stated she was in Sneden Hall and upon returning to her vehicle, she was approached by another GRCC student. The student told the victim that she had just witnessed a vehicle hit her vehicle while parking.
Both vehicles had minimal damage with what appeared to just be paint transferred on each vehicle and also a scratch on one of the vehicles. Both vehicles were still parked next to one another when GRCC Police arrived.
The vehicle was registered by a 55-year-old female. Dispatch was able to make contact with the registered owner who advised the vehicle was being driven by her daughter.
The officer contacted the woman who had hit the student’s vehicle and asked her if she was aware she hit a vehicle. The driver stated she was and wasn’t sure what to do or how to report it. She said she had contacted some friends and was waiting to hear from them about what she should do. The officer explained to her that it was her responsibility to contact the owner of the vehicle and exchange information with them or report it to a police officer.
The officer gave her the student’s phone number and told the driver to call her. The officer then told the woman the two could either exchange information to file a report with their respective insurance companies or she could pay for the damages herself.
Napkin with racial slur left in G2 Subway
On March 7 at 6:39 p.m., GRCC Police were dispatched to the front lobby of the GRCC Police Department to address a complaint. The officer met with a GRCC custodian, who displayed to the officer a napkin that the custodian had found near Subway on the G2 level of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall (RFH) The napkin read, “(N-word) you need to die $1.00 tip” was written on the napkin in what appeared to be a red marker.
The officer took a photograph of the napkin and checked approximately two hours of surveillance footage covering the area in question and witnessed multiple individuals around the area. The officer could not discern any of them placing a napkin where it was found. Additionally, no complaints were taken on March 7 in regard to threats, harassment, stalking or any suspicious situation whatsoever.
Another trespasser found near Spectrum Theater
While doing building checks on March 8, an officer found a man sitting by the doors of the Spectrum Theater with his belongings sprawled out on the ground around him. Upon the officer making contact, the man began collecting his things and said he was just trying to get out of the rain.
When police confirmed that the man was not a GRCC student, he was told that he could not be on campus. Officers ran his driver’s license and confirmed he had a clean record, so the man was given a verbal warning and left GRCC property with no further issues.
Trespasser reported near the ATC building
Two GRCC officers were dispatched to a possible trespasser between the GRCC library and the Wisner-Bottrall Applied Technology Center (ATC) building at 8:45 a.m. on March 8. The man was asleep on an exhaust vent outside of the south end of the library when officers approached.
Police found that the man had a warrant out of Colorado, and also had three other counts of trespassing in Grand Rapids, ranging from June of 2023 to just the day before on March 7, 2024.
The man said he is homeless, and simply trying to stay warm. Though he had been told previously to not be on GRCC campus, the officers were advised to just give the man another verbal warning and escort him off campus, which they did.
After clearing the incident, previous encounters with the man were reviewed and it was found that he had been issued a trespassing citation from a GRCC officer the day before, so any future contact with him should result in an arrest.
Another trespasser found near Spectrum Theater
While doing building checks on March 8, an officer found a man sitting by the doors of the Spectrum Theater with his belongings sprawled out on the ground around him. Upon the officer making contact, the man began collecting his things and said he was just trying to get out of the rain.
When police confirmed that the man was not a GRCC student, he was told that he could not be on campus. Officers ran his driver’s license and confirmed he had a clean record, so the man was given a verbal warning and left GRCC property with no further issues.
Individual with a warrant for arrest found smoking in Ramp A stairwell
On March 12 at 2:42 p.m., two GRCC Police officers were dispatched to Ramp A southwest stairwell for two suspicious people suspected of smoking marijuana.
Upon the officers’ arrival, the pair noticed two individuals still sitting in a stairwell near the sixth level. When the officers approached the pair they advised the two individuals that GRCC is a smoke-free campus and asked if theywere students at GRCC. When two said they were not, the officers let them know that they were trespassing on GRCC property which is marked by blue and yellow placard signs around campus.
After both were run through the LEIN it was found there was no record for one of the individuals, who was given a trespassing warning and was free to go. The other individual showed a warrant out of Grand Rapids 17th Circuit Court for failure to appear. The warrant was confirmed and valid and the officer took the maninto custody without incident.He was transported to Kent County Correctional Facility where he was lodged on his warrant.
GRCC student’s tire slashed by unknown man
On March 12 at 6:46 p.m., GRCC Police responded to a report of a tire being punctured that took place in Ramp B. The driver of a Chevy Silverado was parked on the corner of Bostwick Avenue and Lyon Street.
Upon the officers’ arrival, they spoke to the driver who said that after pushing the Ramp B elevator down arrow button by accident, the door opened, revealing an unknown white male who was on the elevator. The male was wearing a black vest with a red shirt under it, and the left sleeve was up enough to notice a tattoo on his left arm. The unknown male appeared to be between 20 and 30 years old and had a mountain bike. The driver told the man he wanted to go up, but then changed his mind took the stairs.
The man followed to the driver’s truck asking if he had a problem. The driver told the man he did not have a problem and got into the truck and left.
Upon inserting his ticket to leave the student exit, the unknown man followed him down the ramp on a bike. According to the report, the man rode his bike by the truck, and the driver heard the front passenger side tire being punctured and air being released. It could not be said for sure which direction the individual went after leaving the ramp.
The officer searched the area for the man but was unable to locate him. The officer viewed the cameras and found someone fitting the suspect’s description, at 6:32 p.m. on the Cook/Lyon Street corner mount camera. The suspect headed southbound through the Juan R. Olivarez Student Plaza Bostwick Commons. The officer lost sight of him as he approached Library Street. The officer attempted to get video footage from Ellis Parking Ramp, but the cameras were down due to a new installation.
The officer attached a picture of the suspect (pulled from the Cook/Lyon Street camera) to the report.
Man found drinking on GRCC’s campus
On March 12 at 7:46 p.m., a GRCC Police officer was doing building checks andthe officer noticed someone sitting on the benches in the parking lot of GRCC’s Park Plaza. As the officer approached the person, they noticed he was drinking a Natty Daddy beer.
The officer spoke with the man and advised him he couldn’t drink on college property. The officer asked him for an ID and he handed the officer a Michigan driver’s license. The officer contacted dispatch and advised them of their location. Another officer arrived on scene shortly after the reporting officer advised dispatch of their location. The reporting officer then asked dispatch to run the man through LEIN .and found the man had no information in the network.
The officer advised the man, who was not a GRCC student, that he was not allowed on GRCC property and indicated that GRCC property was marked by the blue and yellow placards. The man understood and left GRCC’s campus.
Man with “lengthy criminal history” arrested after refusing to comply with police
On March 14, GRCC Police were dispatched to the lobby area of GRCC’s Student Center on a report of a homeless man sleeping on a bench. The two officers woke the man and asked if he was ok. The man immediately jumped up and said thank you and that he was ok.
He then tried to walk out of the building but police stood in front of him several times, stating they were investigating an incident. The man began to raise his voice, saying that he wanted to leave and never come back and that he wasn’t doing anything wrong. He continued to tell police that they couldn’t arrest him for doing anything wrong.
He tried to try to go around the officers a number of times before they eventually had to hold the man back. The officers told him that they needed his identification but refused stating that he didn’t have to give it to them. Police told the man that if he is not a GRCC student he was trespassing on campus. The officer then grabbed him and stated he was going to detain him until they could figure out who he was and what he was doing on campus.
The man actively resisted and was eventually handcuffed after a brief struggle. After being placed in the police cruiser, the man started screaming extremely loud and was saying things were “unintelligible” according to the police report.
The man gave police a first name and had trouble finding him through the LEIN. A mental order and officer safety caution were under the name but no record under the Secretary of State (SOS). Police were eventually given a last name and found the man had a “lengthy criminal history” with charges of felony criminal sexual conduct (CSC), assault, trespassing, resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and assault on a corrections officer.
The man was issued a misdemeanor citation under a local ordinance for disorderly conduct-fail/refusal to identify and disorderly conduct-assault, resist, obstructing a police officer and was transported to the Kent County Correctional Facility.
Ramp A parking gate arm appeared to be taped after not working
On March 15, an Ellis Parking supervisor called GRCC police to report a damaged gate arm. The supervisor explained that the damaged gate was still working and that it seemed someone tried to tape the arm to keep it from working.
The supervisor explained that the cameras in the ramp were not functioning properly and there was no video footage of the incident. The arm cost $200 to replace.
