Campus Security & Public Safety

A student reported that an unknown person or persons entered his residence in the 1000 block of East Boone by cutting the screen on a first floor bedroom window.  A phone, keys, and wallet were taken from a desk near the window.

Here are some easy steps you can take to help protect your property: 

*         Lock your doors and windows. Keep curtains & blinds closed.

*         Make sure all of your exterior lights are working.

*         Report all crimes immediately. 911.

*         Report suspicious persons and activities immediately. 911. 

If you encounter a subject in your residence, do not attempt to confront them. Go to a safe place and call 911.

For more information regarding off-campus safety, visit the Gonzaga Off-Campus Living guide at: http://www.gonzaga.edu/student-life/Off-Campus-Living/OffCampusGuide.pdf

Spokane Police contacted Gonzaga Security at 2:35 AM this morning to report that a student had her wallet snatched while she was standing with another student near the corner of Columbus and Boone. The students had walked from a nearby business and at about 2:30 AM a light-skinned African-American male, of thin build and about 6 feet tall, ran up and grabbed her wallet from her hand. He then ran away to the south. Neither student was harmed. Spokane Police are investigating.

 Gonzaga community members are reminded of the following safety tips: 

• If you have to walk, do so in groups especially after dark. Try to use well-lit, busy routes. Be aware of your surroundings.
• Utilize Saferide if you need a ride back to your residence from an off-campus location: call 568-8000.
• Utilize Security escorts to travel across campus: 313-2222.
• Report suspicious persons or circumstances immediately to GU Security (313-2222) or SPD (911).
• Once you are in safe place, report all crimes immediately to police at 911 and GU Security at 313-2222.

Temperatures in the 90’s Orientation Weekend! Stay cool and stay safe with these tips from the American Red Cross

Due to installation of a new pedestrian island near Desmet and Hamilton, we are advising northbound Hamilton traffic to turn left on Boone, NOT Desmet.

Arrival Recommendations:

DeSmet/Welch:

            From Hamilton: If southbound, turn right onto Desmet. If driving northbound, turn left onto Boone. Continue towards campus and turn left on Cincinnati. Stop at the temporary stop sign which will be manned by security personnel. Tell the officer either “DeSmet” or “Welch” and you will be instructed to continue westbound to the next controlled check point. After stopping again, the officer will direct you to your desired destination.

            From southbound Cincinnati: Stop at the temporary stop sign which will be manned by security personnel. Tell the officer either “DeSmet” or “Welch” and you will be instructed to continue westbound to the next controlled check point. After stopping again, the officer will direct you to your desired destination.

Madonna/Catherine-Monica:

            From Hamilton: If southbound, turn right onto Desmet. If driving northbound, turn left onto Boone. Continue towards campus and turn left on Cincinnati. Stop at the temporary stop sign which will be manned by security personnel. Tell the officer either “Madonna” or “Catherine-Monica” and you will be instructed to turn left onto Cincinnati and proceed until met by another staff member who will assist you to the proper unloading area.

            From south bound Cincinnati: Stop at the temporary stop sign which will be manned by security personnel. Tell the officer either “Madonna” or “Catherine-Monica” and you will be instructed to turn left onto Cincinnati and proceed until met by another staff member who will assist you to the proper unloading area.

Coughlin Hall: 

            From southbound Hamilton: Drive past the University to Spokane Falls Blvd and turn right. Proceed one block to Cincinnati and turn right again. Patterson Baseball Complex will be on the corner. Continue up Cincinnati until met by a security staff member. After advising them that you are assigned to Coughlin Hall, you will be instructed to either turn right into the Coughlin Hall parking lot to unload or left into the McCarthey Arena if the dorm lot is full.

If for some chance you enter Cincinnati from the north (at Desmet) immediately advise the staff member that you need to get to Coughlin Hall and you will be allowed, traffic permitting, to continue southbound on Cincinnati. Once you reach Coughlin Hall, advise the security staff member at that location that you are assigned to that dorm and need to unload. You will then be directed to the appropriate parking unloading area.  Please note: To expedite the move-in process on campus, Cincinnati Street from Desmet to Lower Kennedy will be restricted to southbound “one-way” traffic only. To alleviate being “stuck” in traffic from the other dorms, it is advisable for Coughlin Residents only to access the area by utilizing the southernmost portion of Cincinnati from Spokane Falls Blvd. That portion of the road will remain open throughout the day to normal north and south bound vehicle traffic.

 This person was observed in Catherine-Monica acting suspiciously on August 5 and August 19 and trespassed from campus.  He is not affiliated with Gonzaga. Please call GU security at 313-2222 if you see him on or near campus.

As a reminder:

• Do not leave doors propped and unattended, even for short periods of time.
• Do not allow access to restricted areas unless you are sure the person is authorized to be there.
• Lock your door.
• Call Campus Security immediately if you see suspicious persons in or around campus buildings.

At 12:30 PM today, a student reported to campus security that she awoke from a nap to find a male subject in her room holding her wallet. The subject left the wallet and exited the room, and the residence hall. A credit card was determined to be missing from the wallet. The subject, a white male approximately 60 years old and well-dressed, is believed to be the same person of interest in previous burglaries and  thefts on campus http://blogs.gonzaga.edu/campo/2011/06/14/person-of-interest-6/ If you see this subject on campus, please contact Campus Security immediately at 313-2222.

Students and staff are reminded:

• Do not leave doors propped and unattended, even for short periods of time.
• Do not allow access to restricted areas unless you are sure the person is authorized to be there.
• Call Campus Security immediately if you see suspicious persons in or around campus buildings.

http://www.kxly.com/localvideo/index.html?v=26867

Gonzaga Security received a report of a male subject digitally stimulating himself outside a non-campus residence in the 400 block of East Sinto at 12:15 AM on August 18. The subject was highlighting his activity with a flashlight. Security was unable to locate the subject. No further description was available. A report was made with Spokane Police.

Gonzaga Security received similar reports on March 29th & 31st of this year.

August 4

A student reported the theft of her bike from the Mater Dei carport. It was secured with a cable lock.

August 7

A student reported the theft of a tire from his bike while parked at the law school bike rack.

A student reported the theft of his bike from the Martin Center  north bike rack. It was secured with a cable lock.

On August 12, A non-student visiting a student in the 500 block of East Sinto reported that she parked her 2003 Subaru  overnight and discovered it missing in the morning. A few minutes after receiving the report, a Gonzaga security officer located the vehicle in the 900 block of East Sinto. Several items, including a laptop and GPS unit, were missing. There was no damage to the vehicle. A “hide-a-key”, normally secured under one of the bumpers, was found to be missing.

For more information on vehicle thefts in Spokane, check out this previous blog post.

All students, staff, and faculty who park a vehicle on Gonzaga University property must register the vehicle with Campus Public Safety and Security. This applies to all vehicles brought to campus, including motorcycles. Parking lots are designated and posted by permit color and are restricted to particular groups (staff/faculty, law students, residence halls, rental units, etc.). Vehicles can be registered at the Security office, Welch hall, lower west side.

Purchase your permit on-line and save time! Permits for the 2011-2012 school year go on sale August 15!

Parking permits may be purchased online (beginning August 15) at: https://commerce.cashnet.com/GUSEC01

You will need your vehicle license plate and Gonzaga ID number! If you do not know your student ID # you may contact the Registrar’s office 509-313-6592.  Print out a copy of your receipt and bring it with you to the Security Office at Welch Hall to pick up your permit.

Welcome Freshman Students & Parents! To help make your move to GU a little easier, here are some recommendations for best accessing your residence hall:

DeSmet/Welch:

From Hamilton:  If south bound, turn right onto Desmet.  If driving north bound, turn left onto Desmet.  Continue towards campus and stop at the temporary stop sign which will be manned by Security Personnel.  Tell the Officer either “DeSmet” or “Welch” and you will be instructed to continue west bound to the next controlled check point.  After stopping again, that Officer will direct you to your desired destination. 

From south bound Cincinnati:  Stop at the temporary stop sign and tell the Security Officer which dorm you need.  You will then be directed to turn right onto Desmet and proceed to the next controlled street closure.  After stopping again, that Officer will direct you to your desired destination. 

Madonna/Catherine-Monica:

From Hamilton:  If south bound, turn right onto Desmet.  If driving north bound, turn left onto Desmet.  Continue towards campus and stop and the temporary stop sign that will be positioned in the center of the roadway.  A Staff member will approach you and ask which Dorm building you desire.  After advising either Madonna or Catherine/Monica, you will be instructed to turn left onto Cincinnati and proceed until met by another staff member who will then assist you to the proper unloading areas.

From south bound Cincinnati:  Stop at the temporary stop sign and tell the assigned Officer which Dorm, (Madonna or Catherine/Monica), you desire.  They will direct you to continue, after a slight jog in the roadway, on Cincinnati until met by another staff member who will then assist you to the proper unloading areas.

Coughlin Hall:

From south bound Hamilton:  Drive past the University to Spokane Falls Blvd and turn right.  Proceed one block to Cincinnati and turn right again, (Patterson Baseball Complex will be on the corner).  Continue up Cincinnati until met by a Security Staff Member.  After advising him that you are assigned to Coughlin Hall, you will be instructed to turn right into the Coughlin Hall Parking Lot to unload. 

If for some chance you enter Cincinnati from the north, (at Desmet), immediately advise the staff member that you need to get to Coughlin Hall and you will be allowed, traffic permitting, to continue south bound on Cincinnati.  Once you reach Coughlin Hall, advise the Security Staff Member at that location, that you are assigned there and need to unload.  You will then be allowed to make a right turn into the parking/unloading area.

 Please Note:  To expedite the move-in process on campus, Cincinnati Street from Desmet to Lower Kennedy Road will be restricted to southbound “one-way” traffic only.  To alleviate being “stuck” in traffic from the other dorms, it is advisable for Coughlin residents only, to access the area by utilizing the southern most portion of Cincinnati from Spokane Falls Blvd.  That portion of the road will remain open throughout the day, to normal north and south bound vehicle travel.

A map of campus is available here: http://www.gonzaga.edu/Student-Life/Campus-Public-Safety-and-Security/files/CampusParking2009.pdf

Renters insurance for college students

If you are a college student who rents an off-campus apartment or house while away at school, you should think about buying renters insurance. This coverage will protect your personal property if it gets damaged, destroyed or stolen, such as your computer, television, stereo, bicycle, or furniture.

Even if you are a dependent under your parent’s insurance, your personal property, in many cases, is not covered if you live off-campus. Your parents should check their policy or contact their insurance agent to see if their homeowner insurance will protect you while you are away at school.

KHQ story on Centennial Trail “Grabber”

http://www.khq.com/category/195686/video-landing-page?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6117031

who-is-this-thief?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6117311

Like a lot of other parts of the country, Spokane is experiencing a surge in vehicle thefts. I found this article in a recent Inlander edition:

 http://www.inlander.com/spokane/article-16695-dude-where-are-our-cars.html

Consider a steering wheel lock if your car is in the "top 10"

For 2009, the most stolen vehicles* in the nation were:

1. 1994 Honda Accord
2. 1995 Honda Civic
3. 1991 Toyota Camry
4. 1997 Ford F-150 Pickup
5. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup
6. 2000 Dodge Caravan
7. 1994 Chevrolet Pickup (Full Size)
8. 1994 Acura Integra
9. 2002 Ford Explorer
10. 2009 Toyota Corolla

What's wrong with this picture?

Bike theft is a particular challenge on almost all college campuses. Many students, staff, and faculty like to commute on and around campuses by bike. Cable locks are almost useless in deterring the theft of an expensive bike. Thieves come armed with pocket-sized cable and bolt cutters. Even U-Locks can be compromised with a little effort by bolt cutters, pneumatic jacks, and cordless metal saws. Our best advice to those who want to ride:

• Consider buying a lower-end bike (there are some great used bikes out there for $100-200) to get you around, and make sure you lock it with a U-Lock (NOT a cable lock). We sell U-Locks at the security office if you don’t have one.
• If you want to bring an expensive bike to campus, make sure you have a place to store it inside. Thieves often target newer Specialized, Trek, and Gary Fisher bikes or bike parts, and are difficult to catch because of the relative speed with which they can cut a lock.
• Register your bike with campus security and take a picture of it.
• And, please bring a helmet. It’s the law in Spokane.

July 17

A staff member reported three suspicious individuals in the area of Dussault looking in vehicles and pulling on door handles.   The staff member notified GU security who responded and made contact with the three individuals.  GU security identified the three and escorted them off campus.

Here are some easy steps you can take to help protect your property: 

*         Lock your vehicle doors.

*         Do not leave items in plain sight within the vehicle, especially valuable items such as laptops, IPods, GPS, backpacks, gym bags, etc.

*         Report suspicious persons and activities immediately to GU Security

            313-2222 or 911.

July 14

A staff member reported his car stereo stolen from his Ford SUV parked adjacent to Dussault.  Entry gained by smashing the rear window.  No other items reported stolen.  The staff member stated he notified Spokane Police Department.

This person was observed checking several bike racks on the west campus and was uncooperative when contacted. If you see him on campus, please contact campus security at 313-2222.