my best of police beat 2010

There have been some good ones, but here are my favorite Police Beat stories of 2010.

Jan. 12: The driver of a white pick-up truck reportedly whipped into a handicap stall, parked and ran to class. Officers confirmed that the running person indeed had a handicap permit.

Jan. 26 A mother called from Wymount. Her son, age 14, had locked himself in the bathroom. The call had been made for an argument over a video game and TV time. The officer was able to mediate the situation and the problem was resolved.

Feb. 14: A concerned mother called in because her 13-year-old daughter was threatening her with a stick. Officers responded and mediated the situation.

Feb. 19: An officer witnessed a male suspect kick one of the light posts on campus, causing it to go out. When the officer confronted the male, he apologized. Luckily, the light came back on and the male’s frustration didn’t damage the post seriously.

Feb. 24: Police received a call about a possible fight in progress in lot 16. Upon arrival, five individuals were separated. One was uncooperative. The two parties were arguing over which party deserved the parking stall. One party claimed his wife was sick and pregnant, but the other party wouldn’t give in. Police found another parking stall for the party.

March 4: A caller with a Jamaican accent made a call to the police department trying to reach basketball coach Dave Rose. He wanted to inform the coach that he won a contest and to receive his prize he simply had to send them a cashier’s check. Being familiar with the scam, the officer told him to stop calling; the caller was persistent and continued his calls. By coincidence ,the coach was in the office during one of his calls and told the secretary to give the caller his number. The coach then took care of the problem by blowing a very loud whistle into the mouthpiece. The caller has not called back since.

May 21: Graffiti was found on a pavilion by the Wilkinson Center bus stop stating, “Utah is infested with Satanists. Awareness is power.”

May 25: A man was reported to be carrying a gun in the HBLL. After an investigation, police found it was a cell phone case.

June 3: A cat was found in the Clyde Building. The incident was reported to police who arrived on the scene. The exterior doors were opened and the cat was herded outside of the building.

July 7: A man was reported drawing circles on the ground and throwing balls into the circles. The man was gone when police arrived.

July 8: A student reported a sex offense occurring at Wyview Park. When an officer arrived, he found a male and female making out. Both parties were clothed. The officer suggested they find another location to continue such activities.

July 9: A man was reported running outside in Army fatigues, holding a gun. When police arrived, they found the man was an ROTC student and the gun was a replica.

July 19: BYU Broadcasting reported receiving a suspicious letter. The letter was dismissed as being unsuspicious.

Aug. 16: Belongings were reported stolen from Stover Hall. The person who reported stolen items realized he was in the wrong room. When he returned to his room, none of his belongings were missing.

Sept. 8: A sanitary napkin dispenser in a women’s restroom in the FOB was broken into and all of the cash was stolen.

Sept. 9: Another sanitary napkin dispenser was broken into. All cash was reported missing.

Sept. 10: Another sanitary napkin dispenser was broken into, this time in a Smith Fieldhouse women’s restroom. All the money from the dispenser was reported missing.

Sept. 10: A student called to report a rock being painted at the ROTC building. Upon arrival, officers discovered two ROTC members painting a rock. The members explained that it is a tradition among ROTC members to paint a rock every month; on the month in question, the members chose pink. The officers decided it was not an offense and left.

Sept. 13: Several items were reported stolen from a female residence hall, including a wallet with contents worth over $200, and a batch of homemade cupcakes.

Oct. 5 Two male students were arguing over dating. One was having a difficult time getting dates and was telling the other student about it. The second student joked that he didn’t have a difficult time getting dates and he could date the other student’s mother. The first student took offense and slammed the second student against a wall and brandished a knife. Upon arrival, the police arrested the first student for aggravated assault. However, the second student decided not to press charges, so the first student was released.

Oct. 5 A suspicious individual was knocking on apartment doors in Wymount Terrace wearing a Guy Fawkes mask. When the officers arrived, Guy had once again eluded the police.

Oct. 5 A person has been seen in the Widtsoe lab leaving suspicious notes on green tape on the lab counter. The notes have said things like “super nice,” “nice,” and “good job.” The man has entered the lab and left these suspicious notes several nights in a row. Officers suspect he might be the boyfriend of one of the lab workers.

Oct. 19 A student called police when he discovered his motorcycle was continuously moved to different spots in a parking lot. The student was irritated.

Oct. 20 Three males were seen entering the Wilkinson Center. One of them went and suspiciously changed his pants. When officers arrived, they searched the area that the student changed in and found nothing.

Oct. 29 A woman was seen suspiciously looking in car windows in a parking lot near May Hall. When asked what she was doing, she said she was just passing the time while waiting to meet her daughter.

Nov. 5 Officers received a call from library security that reported a student lying on the floor of the HBLL atrium. The student refused to get up and leave. Upon arrival, the officer discovered the student was an anthropology student conducting an experiment. The student apologized and left.

Nov. 6 A lawnmower was reported tied to a tree. Furthermore, the report stated the lawnmower had been running for a while. When the officer arrived, the lawnmower had run out of gas and turned off.

Nov. 13 A concerned citizen reported seeing a bag of alcohol near the Wilkinson Center. It was actually a bag of groceries and the owner got onto the bus and left with it.

If you'd like to see all of the Police Beats, you can see them here.