By Jamie Miller, Ari’ Browley, Kyle Jackson, Alexandria Webb, Karalynn Davis and Ethan Lane
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.
Graffiti Painted Over Brick Outside South Commons
On March 29, the Grand Rapids Community College Police Department received a call from a GRCC employee stating that a manhole cover and brick pavers had been vandalised.
An officer was dispatched to the scene. Upon arriving, the officer utilized the camera system to find the date of the incident and the suspects.
Using the Verkada cameras, the officer found that the incident had occurred eight days earlier, on March 21 at 8:08 p.m. The incident showed a man wearing an orange jacket with curly blond hair, spray painting the bricks in the south commons.
Later, the video showed two different suspects walking on campus. These suspects appeared not to be affiliated with GRCC.
The first suspect was wearing a white button-up shirt, an orange jacket, dark pants, and brown shoes. The suspect spray-painted the words “STAND STILL DON’T” on the brick. The suspect appeared to be female.
The second suspect was a male with a mustache, a tan jacket, a blue button-up shirt, a white undershirt, dark pants, and tan shoes. The suspect was holding two large bags.
No arrests have been made.
Officers Respond to Individuals Harassing Students
On March 29, at 1:30 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the GRCC Student Center to respond to individuals harassing students. The subjects have been reported before.
When the officer arrived, the three subjects were seen exiting the Raider Grill and heading toward Raleigh J. Finkelstein (RJF) Hall. The officer informed another officer of the subject’s position and had them intercept at the third-floor stairwell dividing RJF from Cook Hall.
When questioning the subjects, the officer recognized the first subject from earlier in the day.
The officer asked the first subject for identification and if they were a student. The subject stated that they didn’t have any on them and that they weren’t a student. The officer asked about a card poking out of the subject’s pocket. The subject handed the officer a Spectrum Health ID card. After running the card, the officer advised the subject that it was a crime to give a false name.
The subject was advised that they were not permitted to return to GRCC unless they were enrolled in classes.
The second subject was found not to be a GRCC student and was given a verbal trespassing warning.
The third subject was placed under arrest.
All subjects were given verbal trespassing warnings and have been added to the trespassing log.
Possible Fraud Turned Out to be a Computer Error
On April 1, at 3:36 p.m., GRCCPD received a call from someone attempting to create an online GRCC account who stated that their name was already linked to a pre-existing account despite not signing up yet.
The officer searched the school database and found the account. The name, date of birth, and address matched, but the email and phone number didn’t.
The officer took the account to the Cashier’s Office, where he was informed that the account only registered classes during 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012 and had not received any refund from financial aid. The office staff stated that the 2008 and 2009 classes were paid for by Rockford High School, and the 2010 and 2012 classes were self-paid online. The account did receive a refund after they withdrew from classes in 2012.
When informed, the victim stated that they never attended Rockford High School, but rather graduated from Central Montcalm High School.
After making contact with Rockford High School, it was found that a student sharing the victim’s name did, in fact, graduate and attend GRCC.
The officer contacted the Admissions and Student Services Senior Functional Analyst. She informed the officer that the proper student’s account and the victim’s account had merged. Manning told the officer that she would figure out the problem.
Gate runner at Parking Ramp A
On Saturday, April 16, at 2:07 p.m., an officer was contacted by a GRCC employee due to the employee finding a gate runner on the Verkanda camera system. The employee told the officer that a student had swiped out at Parking Ramp A’s exit on April 16 at 2:02 p.m., as she did, someone driving a black Toyota Highlander with a Michigan license plate followed behind her and got out without paying. The officer made contact with the woman, who stated she didn’t notice someone following her and told the officer that she had seen this a lot. The officer would later make contact with the suspect via telephone after finding her number via the GRCC program PeopleSoft. The officer asked her if she knew why he was calling, and the woman admitted to following the vehicle out without paying. The officer informed her that to do so was a crime and that a hold would be placed on her account until she paid the cashier’s office to have the hold removed. The officer was later informed that the woman paid on April 23.
People get stuck in parking Ramp B elevator
On Saturday, April 18, at 8:42 p.m., the Grand Rapids Police Department contacted GRCC Police, notifying them that multiple people were stuck in a parking Ramp B elevator. On his way to the elevator, the officer contacted GRCC facilities to request elevator services. When the officer arrived at parking Ramp B, they confirmed that people were trapped in an elevator stuck on the fifth floor. The officer successfully made verbal contact with the individuals through the elevator doors. When an elevator service employee arrived, the officer allowed him to access the top-floor mechanical room to reset the elevator system. After the employee reset the elevator, it was lowered to the first floor of parking Ramp B, where all parties safely cleared the elevator.
Warrant arrest at Bostwick Ave
On Saturday, April 18, at 7:16 a.m., an officer was on patrol when he noticed a tent on the grass at the south commons. Upon arrival, the officer made contact and heard a male voice come from the tent. The officer asked the man to open the tent so he could see what was going on inside, and the man did so, allowing the officer to see there was a female inside as well. The officer asked the two for their names, which they gave, with the male telling the officer he had a warrant out. As the officer ran their names through the Law Enforcement Information Network, the man put on shorts and came out of the tent. The officer was able to confirm the warrant, and the man was arrested without incident. The woman was also taken into custody due to being a protected person. The two’s belongings were lodged at the Grand Rapids Community College Police Department garage, and the two were given trespassing warnings before being transported to the Kent County Correctional Facility.
Assault at DeVos Campus
On Wednesday, April 22, at 9 a.m., an officer was informed of an incident that occurred at the GRCC DeVos Campus the previous day at 9 p.m. The officer would make contact with the woman who made the report via text at 9:15 a.m. She told the officer that the previous night at 9 p.m., after she had gotten out of class, she and a classmate were walking to their vehicles in the east Sneden parking lot when they stopped to talk. She said that she had left to go to her vehicle when her classmate called her back to him, and when she got back to him, he grabbed her by the sides of her face and kissed her, sticking his tongue into her mouth as he did. The woman said that she did not want the kiss and pushed him off of her. The man proceeded to kiss her again and state that he was very attracted to her, and asked her if she wanted to hang out in his truck or at her place. She told the officer that she felt panicked during these gestures of affection and, as a result, gave the man her phone number in an attempt to end the conversation as quickly as possible. She further told the officer that there was no groping or grabbing of intimate parts during the encounter. She also told the officer that before the events, the two were classmates, and the male was always friendly during group discussions. She also informed the officer that she believed he was attracted to her based on conversations they had in the past and his actions towards her, with her further telling the officer that she thought he had always wanted her phone number but was too nervous to ask. When the officer reassured her that it’s her right to press charges, she stated that she wanted GRCC PD to be informed for informational purposes. The officer would then make contact with the suspect at 10:30 a.m. The suspect told the officer much of the same story as the woman, though she stated that he felt as if they were expressing mutual feelings, and he further stated that when he kissed her, he felt as if she was kissing him back, though he stated he might have read the situation wrong. When asked if the woman pushed him away, he said that it didn’t feel like she did, and when asked if she gave him her phone number before or after the kiss, he said that he couldn’t remember but knew that she had given it to him. Throughout the conversation, the man was apologetic and stated it was not his intent to make her feel uncomfortable and that he truly believed the feelings were mutual. The officer was able to locate the incident on the Verkada camera system; however, due to the angle, he was unable to determine whether or not she pushed him away. The officer told both parties that a report would be written and advised the female of her victim’s rights information.
Financial Aid Fraud
On Wednesday, April 22, at 1:20 p.m., a man called GRCC PD to report a fraudulent situation involving someone using his identity to gain financial aid for GRCC. At 1:36 p.m., the officer made contact with the man over the phone. The man stated that he had been trying to apply to the University of Phoenix but was unable to sign in to his Free Application for Federal Student Aid account. Upon resetting his account and logging in, he noticed that he had a student loan taken out for $1,923.40 and a Pell grant taken out for $3,698 for GRCC during the 2023-2024 summer semester. He told the officer that both were issued to GRCC. He further told the officer that he had never been to the state of Michigan or attended GRCC. Furthermore, he informed the officer that he had been receiving calls from a collection agency regarding a student loan of $1,923.40, but whenever he attempted to answer the call, the line dropped, and the caller left an automated voicemail. He told the officer that he had not made any payments towards this collection attempt and that he could not remember the name of the collection agency. The officer, through PeopleSoft, was able to look up the student’s account and confirm that he had been signed up to four classes in the 2023-2024 summer semester at GRCC. The email address his account was linked to, the man did not recognize. The officer would also look into the address listed on his account and figured out that it was linked to a house listed for sale on June 29, 2023, and sold on June 25 2024. Later that day, at 2:19 p.m., the officer would make contact with the Director of Student Financial Services to see if GRCC issued a refund to this account. The director confirmed that the account had received two separate refund checks, one sent on June 7, 2024, for $2,677 and another on June 21, 2024, for $866. The officer then made contact with the GRCC Officer of the Register to get the Social Security number linked to the account to be forwarded to the Department of Education.
Hit and Run at Parking Ramp A
On Wednesday, April 22, at 2:35 p.m., an officer was dispatched on a report of a hit-and-run at Parking Ramp A. The victim met the officer at the police building and told the officer that an unknown vehicle was speeding through the ramp’s sixth floor, where it struck the victim’s truck before leaving the scene. Through reviewing footage of the cameras at the Ransom Exit, the officer was able to see that the two drivers spoke briefly before the other vehicle left. Upon being asked, the truck driver said he could not remember the conversation beyond the other driver saying that it was “all good.” The officer then reviewed the cameras at the Applied Technology Center’s west main entrance, which showed the truck driver failing to yield before entering the straight lane leading to the exit. The officer then told the truck driver that he was responsible for ensuring the lane was clear before entering traffic, and the man told the officer that he no longer wished to pursue a report, further telling the officer that he was not injured in the accident. The officer managed to identify the other driver through the pay station records, and he confirmed he was the other driver, but that the damage was minor, and both drivers decided to leave the scene without incident. The truck, which was a 2006 Nissan Titan, had pre-existing damage to the area of impact, with the driver’s side front bumper being partially secured with duct tape.
Individual trespasses in parking Ramp A
On Thursday, April 23, at 6:19 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the Grand Rapids Community College Police Department to take a report from a GRCC employee. When the officer made contact with the complainant, he reported a trespass that occurred the night before. The complainant stated that at around 5 a.m. in the morning, he made contact with a female sleeping in a parking Ramp A elevator. He stated that initially, she did not contact or interact with him. Having made contact with the same female the week prior on April 18, the complainant then held open the elevator door and advised the woman that she could not sleep in the elevator. After the complainant said this to the female, he reported that she got agitated and started to yell nonsensical sentences. After the altercation, the complainant stated he saw a knife sticking out of the female’s backpack. He explained that the knife was not brandished and described it as a kitchen or steak knife. The complainant stated that he left the scene after seeing the knife.
Later, when the complainant returned to the elevator, the female was still there. He told the female that he would call GRCC Police if she did not leave the campus. The complainant said the female encouraged him to call the police so she could report the complainant. The complainant stated the female left around 5:40 a.m. The female was seen on campus security cameras leaving Ramp A and heading southbound.
Larceny at parking Ramp A
On Thursday, April 23, at 11:46 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a reported larceny at parking Ramp A. Upon arrival, the officer was advised that an Ellis Parking employee witnessed a vehicle follow another vehicle out of the ramp without paying a $12 parking fee. The incident happened only minutes prior to the report, also being captured on security cameras.
The officer reviewed security footage, confirming that a dark-colored Ford pickup truck followed a vehicle out of parking ramp A without paying at 11:40 a.m. The officer attempted to capture the license plate through security cameras, but the image was too blurry to make out. After reviewing more security footage, the officer was unable to find a truck matching the description of the suspected vehicle.
Attempted larceny at parking Ramp B
On Thursday, April 23, at 12:37 p.m., officers were dispatched to parking Ramp B, where an Ellis parking employee reported an attempted larceny. The employee stated that a GRCC student who was leaving parking Ramp B pressed the help button after having issues exiting due to insufficient funds on her student card. The employee stated that she tried to open the gate arm for the student via a program on her phone. The employee then left her office to see the student’s vehicle halfway under the gate arm. The employee questioned the student, asking if they were attempting to tailgate the car in front of them to avoid payment. The student confirmed that they were attempting to tailgate another vehicle, but stated she had seen others do it. The employee told the student that she planned to call GRCC Police and proceeded to write down the student’s license plate information. The employee stated that the student got upset with her and the two began to argue. The student left and then re-entered the parking lot to make contact with GRCC Police.
When officers made contact with the student, she confirmed that she tried to leave without paying, again stating that she had seen other students do it. Officers informed the student that attempting to leave the parking ramp without paying was a crime. The student explained to officers that she got upset with the employee for writing down her license plate information. After speaking to officers, the student attempted to exit the parking ramp again, but could not due to insufficient funds. An officer helped the student exit the parking ramp. A hold placed on the student’s account was removed on May 7 after the original parking fee was paid.
Threatening and harassing email sent to GRCC employee by co-worker
On Monday, April 27, at 10:50 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a report of intimidation and stalking that occurred on Friday, April 24. The officer made contact with the victim, accompanied by another GRCC employee in a GRCC Police interview room around 11:15 a.m. The victim explained to the officer that she suspected a long-time co-worker of sending her anonymous harassing emails. The victim stated that the suspect took her old position in January 2025, leading to the two working closely for training purposes. Throughout 2025, the victim continued to assist the suspect with their workload due to issues with tech proficiency. The victim explained that by October 2025, the suspect showed their first signs of frustration with her when she advised them to contact her via email instead of making phone calls. The victim stated no aggression or harassment occurred at this time, but she overheard that the suspect was struggling with health issues related to work. The victim stated that work continued as normal, with her continuing to assist her co-worker until April 2026.
On Friday, April 24, the suspect asked the victim for work assistance via email. Another employee who was aware of the suspect’s work-related issues emailed them back instructions to assist them in their work. In response, the victim emailed the suspect back, encouraging them to use the other employee’s email for assistance. The victim stated that her day continued as normal until 5:57 p.m., when she received a harassing and profanity-laced email containing vague threats from an unknown sender. The victim later received two apology emails at 6:41 p.m. and 6:51 p.m. from different anonymous senders. The victim explained that she found the emails “unsettling,” and she considered the suspect the sender, but doubted it due to technological limitations. The victim advised the officers that she did not want to press charges; she just wanted the harassment to stop.
Officers were able to make contact with the suspect’s relative the same Monday at 2:45 p.m. in a GRCC Police interview room. When questioned by officers, the relative stated that on Friday, when the suspect sent the emails, she and other relatives were out at karaoke. The relative stated that later in the night when she returned home, the suspect said that she “messed up” and sent anonymous emails to a co-worker. The relative explained that she asked the suspect to show her the emails, but the suspect told her that they were all deleted. The suspect also informed their relative that they sent apology emails after the fact. The relative further explained to officers that the suspect has been struggling with stress and health-related issues as a result of their job. The officers asked the relative if they could speak to the suspect and made contact with them via phone call. The suspect told officers that on Friday, April 24, she sent harassing emails to her co-worker because she was upset and stressed over work. She stated that she was also worried about health issues caused by work and the stress it has caused family members. When officers questioned the suspect on why she sent the harassing emails, she explained that overhearing work chatter about stress caused her to “snap” and “black out,” sending the anonymous email. The suspect explained that she looked up the victim’s information on her personal device to send the anonymous emails while her family was away at karaoke. The suspect stated that she panicked after the fact, sending two apology emails to the victim about an hour later. She then admitted her mistake to her relatives when they arrived home. Both parties were informed that officers would document this report. No further actions were taken by the parties.
Couple argues loudly outside the GRCC Enrollment Center
On Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 10:14 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the RJF Enrollment Center due to a disturbance.
A woman was reported yelling loudly at the front desk of the Enrollment Center. The officer, along with another officer, made contact with two people as they were leaving the Enrollment Center.
The first person told the officers that they were asked to leave and were doing so. The second person explained that it was their boyfriend and that they were just arguing.
Two more officers arrived and stayed with the couple while the original officer made contact with staff at the Enrollment Center to find out what happened.
The officer was told that the subjects were arguing in the area very loudly and were using profanity, so they were asked to leave, and GRCC Police were called when they failed to do so. Both people were instructed to behave in a more appropriate manner when on campus. They left campus heading North on the Bostwick Commons.
Disorderly woman ejected from Parking Ramp A
On May 18, at 6:06 a.m., two officers were dispatched to Parking Ramp A to a woman sleeping in the 6th level and refusing to leave. The officers made contact with the woman, telling her it was time to “wake up and leave.” She ignored them, and the officers asked the woman if she “wanted to go to jail for trespassing,” to which she said she did and continued to lie down. She had a hospital bracelet on her wrist, so the officers ran her name and date of birth through LEIN via dispatch.
The officers requested that another officer come to the location with a police cruiser so they could issue a misdemeanor citation. The other officer arrived, and another officer exited the stairwell to issue the citation. While the one officer was typing the citation, the woman stood up and began to urinate in the stairwell. After she finished urinating, she became agitated. The woman was informed that she would receive another charge for public urination. The woman tried to walk away when one of the officers grabbed her arm and guided her out of the stairwell. The woman then began to dig in her crotch area and made a flicking motion toward one of the officers
One of the officers asked if it would be easier to put the woman in handcuffs, to which the other officer said they could do it if the woman didn’t comply. The woman tried to walk towards the stairwell, so Officer Penniman placed her arms behind her back and put her in handcuffs.
An officer issued the citation, and the woman was advised that she wasn’t allowed back on GRCC property.
Strange Liquid Found in Mop Bucket at GRCC
On May 27, 2026, at approximately 1:07 p.m., an officer was dispatched to Raleigh J Finkelstein Hall for a Trouble with a Person complaint. Dispatch advised that the GRCC custodian had called to report a mop bucket with urine in it.
The officer arrived on scene and met with the custodian in the receiving area of RJF hall. The custodian showed him a mop bucket that contained a small amount of yellow liquid inside. The custodian believes it to be urine, but does not know when it occurred. The last time he knew for sure the bucket was empty was the day prior on Monday morning, May 26. There are no cameras in the area, and access is not restricted in any way.
This is the second incident of this nature involving a mop bucket. The first time was reported to another officer, and there was a significant window of opportunity with no suspects that time as well. The custodian was advised to check that mop bucket at the beginning and end of every shift to narrow the timeframe if it were to occur again.
