By Jamie Miller
Editor’s note: Coverage of campus police reports has been delayed due to the Grand Rapids Community College Police Department now requiring The Collegiate to file a Freedom of Information Act request in order to obtain reports.
Gate arm damaged in Parking Ramp A
On Thursday June 4 at 7:27 a.m. an officer was informed by dispatch that one of the gate arms in Parking Ramp A had been damaged, with dispatch further telling the officer that the previous day at 11:30 p.m. when a GRCC custodian arrived for his shift he noticed the student exit gate arm on the first floor was lying on the ground though Ellis Parking had already put the gate arm back on by the time the officer was informed. Through a check of the Verkada security system, the officer was able to locate the incident occurring the previous day at 8:55 p.m. Two men were exiting the ramp through the student exit. As they did, one of the males slightly grabbed the arm to make sure he didn’t run into it; however, as he did, the corner of his shirt caught on the arm by accident. The man was unaware of this and kept walking before noticing and unhooking his shirt and walking away. This seemed to have slightly bent the arm and caused it to fall out of the holder.
Trespasser arrested at Raleigh J Finkelstein Hall
On Friday, June 5 at 9:12 a.m., an officer was on patrol in Raleigh J Finkelstein Hall when he noticed a man from a previous incident of trespassing in one of the study rooms on the second floor watching a movie on his phone. The officer briefly left to confirm this with dispatch and was able to confirm not only had he been given a trespassing warning previously, but he had been arrested previously as a suspect in an assault. The officer returned and made contact with the man. The officer asked him if he was a student, and the man said he was not. The officer then asked him if he remembered getting a previous trespassing warning, and the man said he did. The officer then arrested him and issued him a misdemeanor ticket for trespassing, and the man was transported to the Kent County Correctional Facility.
Drinking fountain emits foul odor in Science Building
On Monday, June 8, at 11:08 a.m., three officers were dispatched to the third floor of the Science Building on a report of an electrical burning-like odor near room 325. At first, the officers were unable to smell anything; however, as they got closer to the bathrooms, the odor became very pronounced. Eventually, with help from the Grand Rapids Fire Department and GRCC Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning, they were able to deduce that the drinking fountain closest to the men’s restroom was thermal imaged 10 degrees higher than normal. The decision was then made to cut electricity to the fountain until a more thorough examination could take place once GRCC electricians were on scene.
Student experiences elevator emergency at Parking Ramp B
On Monday, June 8, at 1 p.m., an officer was dispatched to Parking Ramp B on report of a female student stuck in the elevator on the first floor. The officer arrived and, after confirming that the woman wasn’t injured, was able to manually force the doors open, allowing her to walk out without issue. After testing the elevator and noticing it wouldn’t move from the first floor, the officer notified GRCC facilities via email.
Gate Running False Alarm at Parking Ramp B
On Tuesday, June 9 at 10:57 a.m., an officer was dispatched on a report of a gate runner at Parking Ramp B with an Ellis employee having told the officer that a blue vehicle with Michigan plates had run the gate without paying. However, through using GRCC security footage, the officer was able to confirm that the driver had indeed swiped their card, paid, and waited for the gate arm to go up before leaving. As a result, the officer closed the case without further incident.
Unicycle stolen from GRCC Science Building
On Tuesday, June 16 at 9:20 p.m., an officer was flagged down by a student at the GRCC Science Building loading dock who told the officer that he had come out of class and found his unicycle missing. He told the officer that he had left his Nimbus Oracle unicycle unsecured outside the southwest corner of the science building at 5:45 p.m. and returned at 9:05 to find it missing. The man described the unicycle to the officer. The officer informed the man about a bike cage that he could use and checked the Verkada camera system. Between 6:52 and 6:54 p.m., a man can be seen riding his bike past the unicycle only to loop back around to check out the unicycle, then continues south on Bostwick Ave. Later at 7:59 p.m., both the man and a woman are seen walking their bicycles northbound on Bostwick Ave., briefly disappearing into Crescent Park before the woman reappears at 8:01 pm. She picks up the unicycle before dropping it in the Science Building’s flower beds, where the male comes to join her. The woman then picks the unicycle back up, and the two walk into Crescent Park, disappearing again. When the two re-emerge at 8:09 pm. They no longer have the unicycle. After watching the footage, the officer went to Crescent Park in an attempt to locate the unicycle but was unable to do so.
Burglary at Learning Resource Commons
On Monday, June 22, at 7:33 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the Grand Rapids Community College Learning Resource Commons on a report of a burglary that may have occurred over the weekend. The officer met with an employee of Pioneer Construction who showed the officer the possible point of entry and told the officer that four drill batteries had been stolen. The report stated the last time any of the workers had seen the batteries was on June 20. The officer then made contact with another employee who stated this had happened previously and further told the officer that the batteries were worth $800 in total and that a box of screws was emptied but wasn’t taken. The officer checked the Verkada system but was unable to locate a suspect.
