Christina VarvisSafewalk Spat
Volunteers for Safewalk provide a free accompaniment service for students trekking around at night.
While Safewalk operates with the goal of creating a safer campus community, it’s not often their volunteers are the victims of assault themselves, University of Alberta Protective Services (UAPS) Acting Inspector Marcel Roth said.
But UAPS received a call from two Safewalk volunteers on Jan. 8, stating that three males near Newton Place were harassing them. Radio chatter to Safewalk offices from the volunteers was also picked up by UAPS. Officers responded and discovered that one of the males in question had spat on one of the Safewalk volunteers. Upon arrival at Newton Place, UAPS observed that Edmonton Police Service (EPS) had one of the male suspects under arrest for personal robbery.
UAPS confirmed that the detained male was the same who spat on the Safewalk volunteer and then issued him a formal Trespass Notice. EPS advised UAPS the male would also be charged with assault for spitting on the volunteer after obtaining a statement from the Safewalk volunteer.
Roth said UAPS are often present at Safewalk orientation at the start of the academic year, to let the volunteers know who UAPS are and the services they provide.
“Normally the criminal activity we would get would be from (volunteers) observing something happening to somebody else, not to them,” Roth said. “That was a little out of the ordinary, but this was timely and came to us quickly.”
Chair Smackdown
The LRT Lounge in HUB Mall usually hosts studying students, not couples throwing chairs at each other.
But UAPS received reports of a disturbance between a male and female causing a commotion in LRT lounge late Jan. 12. UAPS attended the area and located the female in the HUB Mall to LRT station pedway, who was found to be intoxicated. Other officers dispatched in the area would eventually locate the male who returned to the scene, and was also found to be intoxicated.
Witnesses reported to UAPS that the female in question had been the primary aggressor in the incident. EPS arrived and arrested the male for public intoxication and the female for public intoxication and assault. It was later discovered that the female also had an outstanding warrant for impaired driving.
Both were issued formal trespass notices. No injuries or damages to university property were observed.
Locker Room Larceny
UAPS responded to reports of an off-duty officer who observed three suspicious people inside the Education South building “who didn’t appear staff or student,” Roth said.
“You’re typically looking for someone not carrying a backpack, or someone who appears disheveled,” Roth said about approaching individuals who do not appear to be affiliated with the U of A.
Suspicious individuals have frequented the basement locker area in Education South lately, so this instance was of interest to UAPS, Roth added. On-duty UAPS personnel then located a male and female who were not affiliated with the U of A inside the women’s basement locker room. While on the search for the third individual, noises from the shower area of the women’s locker room led them to the final suspect.
After further inspection of the locker room, a single “undecipherable” graffiti tag in black marker was discovered in the shower area along with several cut locks. UAPS searched the suspects and found several markers in their possession, but none in black, so they could not determine whether the individuals were responsible. No devices or tools that could have been used to cut the locks were found on the suspects either. Roth said it’s possible the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation cut the locks themselves due to individuals not paying fees to rent the locker.
All three were issued formal trespass notices and directed off campus. Information regarding the incident was then shared with police.
Dolsot Bibimbreak-in
The Korean Food Restaurant in HUB Mall is a hot spot for kimchi jigae soup or bulgogi rice bowls, but lately it’s attracted a couple break-ins.
Korean Food Restaurant staff first notified UAPS that someone had broken into the facility overnight on Jan. 6. A lock that wasn’t secure was noted by UAPS as a possible point of entry. Upon inspection of the restaurant, they discovered that nothing of value had been taken, but three-dozen eggs were smashed onto the floor.
EPS were then called in to document the break-and-enter.
One week later on Jan. 13, UAPS officers on routine patrol in HUB Mall spotted two suspicious individuals near the Korean Food Restaurant. Officers observed a female wearing gloves and shining a flashlight into the restaurant, who was accompanied by a male, also wearing gloves, who had his hand on the security gate lock.
Another female then emerged from a nearby HUB Mall bathroom, who was affiliated with the two gloved individuals.
The female who exited the restroom had previously trespassed and was issued a summons for trespassing while the other two, who had no previous record, were issued formal trespass notices.
The three are possible suspects for the previous break-and-enter and their information was shared with EPS.
