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.
Property damage reported in Ramp B
On Saturday, Jan. 4 at 9:25 a.m. a Grand Rapids Community College Police officer was backing into a parking space in parking Ramp B. While backing in with her patrol vehicle she bumped into the protruding concrete barrier with the rear bumper. Upon investigating the officer noted a minor dent to the driver’s side of the bumper, which appeared to be pre-existing. The sergeant was not on duty so the officer notified the sergeant via email.
Graffiti at Ford Fieldhouse
On Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 7:34 a.m. an officer was informed by the GRCC Building Manager that there was graffiti in the Ford Fieldhouse. He told the officer that he had been informed by a third shift custodian that the handicapped bathroom stall in the men’s room on the second floor of the Ford Fieldhouse had been tagged with white marker or paint being used to write on the inside of the door. It was first noticed in the early hours of that day and wasn’t there the day before when the bathroom was cleaned. It was stated to the officer that the facilities staff were aware and that it would be cleaned.
Employee’s car damaged by traffic gate at parking ramp
On Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 9:11 a.m. an officer met with a GRCC employee on account of a report of non-criminal damage to property, the employee reported that when he was leaving the G1 employee parking lot on Bostwick Avenue the previous day the traffic gate arm came down on the vehicle he was driving. He explained to the officer that when he left the parking lot around 3:20 p.m. there was another vehicle in front of him that scanned its ID card and left. However, the gate arm did not lower after. The employee stated that he waited a few seconds and when the arm didn’t lower he scanned his ID card and the light on the reader turned green so he went to leave the parking lot, which is when the gate arm came down on top of his vehicle. Upon looking at the vehicle the officer noticed black scuff marks from the protective foam cushioning on the bottom of the gate arm though the scuffs were not permanent, as the officers and employee were able to wipe them off using their hands. The officer was able to confirm the employee’s story. He then contacted a representative at Ellis Parking to ask questions about the timing and duration of the gate arm cycle. She took his information and stated she would pass it on to Traffic and Safety to perform maintenance on the gate arm and box.
Person assist at Raleigh J Finkelstein Hall
On Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 7:46 a.m. an officer was dispatched to room 305 of RJF to meet with the associate dean regarding a disorderly student. The associate dean informed the officer that on the previous day, an incident occurred in the classroom of a GRCC professor. This incident involved a student in the professor’s class becoming angry when discussing a topic to the point where it was considered frightening by her and other students in the class. This outburst concerned her so much that she sent an email to the student informing him that he violated GRCC’s student code of conduct as well as her classroom conduct policy. She also told him in this email that when their class met again he could not sit in front and should apologize to the class. The associate dean explained to the officer that he hadn’t spoken to the student yet and was questioning whether or not an officer should be present when the class met next. The officer said he would be happy to be in the area but he would not speak to the student until he had first spoken to the instructor. The officer then attempted to call the professor in the associate dean’s office but she did not answer so the officer left her a voicemail to call him. The officer told the associate dean he would patrol the area during the beginning of the class. Before going to the classroom the officer looked up the student’s schedule and it appeared that he had dropped the class. The officer arrived to patrol the area at 9:30 a.m. where he made contact with the professor speaking with her until 9:40 a.m. The student never showed up for class.
Larceny at Lyon Street
On Monday, Jan. 13 at 1:57 p.m. a GRCC student came into the GRCC PD building to report a larceny from his vehicle. The student told the interviewing officer that he had parked his vehicle on level seven of parking Ramp B at Lyon Street that day at 9:30 a.m. and that when he returned to it at 1:30 p.m. he discovered that his console was open and that someone had gone through his belongings. He explained that he noticed that the case to his Oakley sunglasses was open and that his sunglasses, which were black with orange or red lenses and wrapped around his head like goggles, were missing. He told the officer that he paid $113 for the sunglasses. He said that upon further investigation that the sunglasses appeared to be the only thing that was taken. The officer asked the student if the vehicle was locked, which he said it was. However, he told the officer that the front passenger door did not work so someone could have entered through that door and there was no damage or indication that force was used. The officer told the man that he would take a report but unless more information surfaced, the report would be closed. The officer asked the man to contact him if he discovered anything else was missing.
Disorderly Conduct reported at Ramp A
On Monday, Jan. 13 at 3:53 p.m. a GRCC student came into the GRCC PD building to report a suspicious situation. The woman stated that she broke up with her ex-boyfriend, a fellow GRCC student, back in November of 2024 after dating him for about a year and a half and that she proceeded to block his phone number and social media accounts so that he would stop messaging her. On Monday, Jan. 6 at 2:15 p.m. the woman was parking Ramp A, level five at Bostwick Ave when she ran into her ex-boyfriend who came up to her by her car after he had parked nearby in the ramp. She told the officer that she felt uncomfortable when he stated he was hoping to run into her. She told the officer that it was a normal conversation but that she eventually told him that she was cold and was going into RJF. He asked to go with her to keep chatting and she agreed. The two proceeded to the Subway in RJF, she explained to the officer that she felt that she couldn’t just leave the conversation so she texted her friend who showed up and she walked away with the friend. The woman and her friend carpooled off campus to get dinner and when they returned to the woman’s vehicle at 5:30 p.m. and were chatting in the friend’s vehicle they witnessed the ex-boyfriend walk up to the woman’s vehicle, type in the vehicle code which he knew from their time dating and leave a note inside before re-locking the vehicle and walking behind the friend’s vehicle into the stairwell for a time before reappearing and walking up to the friend’s vehicle and asking to speak to the woman. The woman propped the door open just enough to ask him what he wanted to which he responded, “nothing” and left. The officer explained to the woman that if she felt afraid that her ex would try to make contact with her again, she could call GRCC PD and that GRCC PD offers safety walks. The officer also explained that if things continue to escalate she could seek a Personal Protection Order through the courts. The officer then asked her if she was comfortable telling the man that she no longer wished to have any contact with him which she said she wasn’t. The officer then asked if she wanted him to tell her ex which she agreed to. The officer made contact with the man via text at 6:44 p.m. on Jan. 13 telling him that the woman no longer wanted to have any contact with him stating that meant text, calling, social media or in person and telling him to leave her alone on campus and asking him if he understood to which he said he did.
Hit and run in Ramp A
On Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 3:11 p.m. a GRCC student called into dispatch to report that he was in a car accident. He stated that he had been walking toward his vehicle on parking Ramp A level five when he saw a black Sedan back out of the spot behind his red Chevrolet and hit its driver-side rear bumper leaving two scratches. The driver of the Sedan did stop to speak to the student with the two discussing the possibility of exchanging information but the student ended up telling the driver that he should just leave before they could. The officer then reviewed the GRCC camera footage and was able to see the student walking toward his vehicle. The accident itself occurred outside of the camera’s view but was able to see the Sedan back straight towards where the students’ vehicle was parked. The officer was not able to make out any descriptive features of the Sedan. The officer then emailed the student informing him of this.
Police called to assist with student angered by failing test score and parking ticket
On Wednesday, Jan. 15 at 7:03 p.m. an officer was dispatched to the Student Center after an employee called in on behalf of another employee due to a student who was unhappy that he failed a test. Earlier that same day at 6:30 p.m. three officers had been dispatched in reference to the same individual. An employee had called GRCC PD to request a standby as that student had taken a test and earned a failing grade. He was a GRCC student but was not registered for classes that semester. Officers stood by as he received his results and left without issue though it seemed that he returned to the Student Center at 7 p.m. and was let back into the building by another student before confronting the employee. The officer then made contact with the employee outside the testing center on the third floor. She told the officer that the student returned to the testing center to confront her over a parking ticket left on his vehicle by parking services telling her, “I got a parking ticket because of you.” When asked if he was yelling or making any other threats or actions she said he wasn’t yelling or destructive but she was threatened due to the tone of his voice. The employee then told him to leave and that she was going to call GRCC PD to which the man said, “I just wanted you to know about the ticket” and then left campus without further incident. The officer then told the employee that he would make a report to document what happened and to contact GRCC PD if she needed any more assistance.
Gate comes down unexpectedly causing damage to employee’s vehicle, breaking gate
On Thursday, Jan. 16 at 6:17 a.m. officers responded to Bostwick Ave on a report of a damaged parking gate. Dispatch informed the officers that the caller stated that the exit gate arm on G1 was damaged. Upon arriving, the officers located the gate arm snapped in half with the detached portion lying nearby, though the arm mechanism itself still functioned, raising and lowering the partial arm that remained. Upon reviewing the security footage, the officers noticed at 10:57 p.m. the previous day a Dodge Journey attempted to leave. After the driver scanned his card, he attempted to drive away only for the arm to come down on top of the vehicle while the Dodge was partially through. The driver could then be seen getting out to assess the damage with the driver of the vehicle directly behind the Dodge also getting out to assist. The officers then informed the GRCC Associate Director of Operations/Grounds who himself contacted the parking ramp manager for Ellis Parking with her following up with Traffic and Safety. Later, when the driver of the vehicle came into the GRCC PD building to provide his statement, he said he was a custodian at GRCC and had scanned his ID and watched the arm raise all the way up before he attempted to leave when he heard a loud noise to the roof of his vehicle. He said he got out of his vehicle to see what had occurred and mentioned that his co-worker had been in the vehicle behind him and got out to assist. He stated the gate arm had come down on top of his vehicle striking the passenger side, causing damage. The officers observed a dent and several scratches to the roof of the Dodge along the passenger side near the second-row window, traveling back to the far rear window. The officers provided the employee the report number and contact info of Risk Management.
