By Jamie Miller
Trespassing at parking ramp A
On Saturday, Feb. 21, at 7:55 a.m., officers on patrol of parking ramp A noticed two individuals asleep on the sixth floor of the southwest stairwell. The officers made contact with the individuals. After asking one of them if he had any kind of identification, the man gave the officer a Michigan identification card, and when asked if he had ever been given a trespass warning, he told the officer that he had not. This was refuted by a search on the Grand Rapids Community College Talon Incident Management System reporting system, which flagged him as having had a trespass warning on Sept. 20. After also running his name through the Law Enforcement Information Network, the man was given a misdemeanor citation and was told that he was not allowed on GRCC property, with the man saying that he understood and was allowed to leave on his own.
Sleeping man ejected from parking ramp A
On Saturday, Feb. 21, at 8:04 a.m., while on patrol in parking ramp A, officers noticed a man sleeping in the west stairwell of the sixth floor. The man identified himself when asked and produced a Michigan identification card. One of the officers recognized him from a previous encounter and stated that he had been issued a trespass warning, something which dispatch confirmed. The man admitted he had previously been given a trespass warning but stated that officers from the Grand Rapids Police Department had told him that he could sleep in the stairwell. The officers told him that this was incorrect information and that he could not, in fact, sleep in the stairwell or remain on GRCC property. The man was searched for contraband to negative results and briefly secured in the officer’s patrol car, which the man appreciated due to the cold weather. A search through LEIN revealed that the man had been a student in 2021 but hadn’t been enrolled since. The man was given a misdemeanor citation for trespassing and warned that he wasn’t allowed on GRCC property and that he could be arrested if he showed up again. The man said he understood and left without further incident.
Damage to property at parking ramp B
On Monday, Feb 23, at 12:10 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the GRCC Police Department lobby on a report of a student claiming that his truck was damaged with no note left behind. The officer made contact with the student, who said that his truck had been struck between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. that day. He further stated that the damage was to his truck’s rear left bumper and that he noticed white paint transfer, and that a piece of the offending vehicle was left next to his truck. The officer checked the Verkada security cameras and was able to locate what the officer believed to be the vehicle due to it missing a piece of plastic matching the plastic found at the scene. The officer was able to locate the other vehicle’s driver using LEIN, CSPROD, and ATRIUM and made contact with her over the phone. The woman said that she did hit a vehicle, but didn’t think she had done any damage, and stated that she could come to GRCC to fill out a private property damage report, which she later did.
Burglary at GRCC baseball field
On Tuesday, Feb 24 at 1:05 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the GRCC baseball/softball field on a report of a shed that had its lock knocked off over the weekend. Upon arrival, the officer met with a GRCC employee who told him that earlier that morning, when he was inspecting a GRCC golf cart key, he noticed that the lock to the shed was knocked off and that the securing latch was also knocked off. The employee told the officer that nothing seemed to be missing from the shed. The officer was able to confirm this through a quick check with athletics staff, also later confirming that nothing was missing. The ignition switch to the golf cart was also damaged, most likely meaning someone tried to steal the cart. The cost to replace the lock is $150, with repairs to the ignition switch being valued at $523.09.
Abandoned car at M-TEC building
On Thursday, Feb 11 at 2:15 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the GRCC M-TEC parking lot on a report of an abandoned white Nissan Armada, which had been parked there since Feb 7. The officer noticed significant damage to the front end of the driver’s side but did not see anything noteworthy inside the vehicle.
The officer was able to use the CWIS system to determine that the vehicle was registered with GRCC in 2015, belonging to a woman who the officers could not confirm to be a current student. The officer attempted to call the phone number listed, but only received a busy signal. The vehicle also lacked the newly required signage to have a private property towing. As a result, no 48-hour warning sticker was issued.
Later on Feb. 26, officers noticed that the vehicle was still there, which led to the officers going to the address listed under the GRCC registration. Upon arrival, the officers made their way up to the door when a man got out of a car in the driveway and asked the officers what they were doing. The officer told him the name they were looking for, and the man stated that the woman was his mother and asked if they were there about the vehicle in the parking lot. The officer confirmed this, and the man stated they couldn’t move it because there was an accident. The officers told the man that they saw the car drive into the lot on camera, so they should be able to drive it away. The man still believed that there would be a problem driving it, so the officer told him that if the vehicle was still there on Monday morning, then the vehicle would be removed by a towing company. The man was unwilling to give his name, simply saying that the woman was quote “his mamma,” but said he would pass the information on to her. The officer gave the man his business card and told him to call him if he had any questions.
Hit and run in Early Childhood Learning Lab parking lot
On Thursday, Feb 26, at 3:47 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the Early Childhood Learning Lab on a report of a possible hit and run in the facility’s parking lot. The officer arrived and spoke to the woman, who stated sometime between Feb 19 and Feb 26, when she noticed the damage to her Kia Telluride was sideswiped on the right corner, leaving scuffs and red paint transfer.
She told the officer that she goes to the facility daily to drop off her son between 7:50 a.m. and 8:05 a.m. and picks him up between 3:25 p.m. and 3:40 p.m. She also stated that she was told by ECLL staff that there were cameras and to have them checked for potential video of the incident. The woman was issued the incident number and informed by the officer that the cameras would be checked, and she would be contacted if the incident happened there and if a suspect vehicle was identified. The officer was able to locate the Kia parked near the entry doors at 7:56 a.m. Then at 8 a.m., he located a burgundy Toyota minivan entering the lot and moving in front of the Kia in an attempt to back in next to the vehicle, striking the Kia’s right front with the left rear of the van, visibly shaking the Kia. The van then pulls out, readjusts, and parks next to the Kia. The driver then gets out of the van, walks to the rear, and looks at his van before getting his toddler-aged son from the left rear door and taking him inside without checking the Kia or leaving a note. At 8:03 a.m., the victim returns to her Kia, sits inside for a brief time before leaving the lot. At 8:04 a.m., the man returns, walks to the left rear of his van, bends down, and wipes the point of contact with both his hands before getting into his vehicle and driving away.
