2008 Woodie Awards
Officer applauds surveillance by female student
She watched suspicious activity, then reported it to district police.
By Jason B. Hogan
Issue date: 4/18/08 Section: News
Originally published: 5/16/08 at 7:49 PM CSTLast update: 5/16/08 at 9:21 PM CST
Better safe than sorry when it comes to possible criminal activities, say officers from the district department of public safety.
They encourage students and employees to report anything out of the ordinary that may signal criminal activity because officers can't be everywhere.
At 1:30 p.m. Feb. 28, a student of this campus reported suspicious activity in Lot 3 on West Courtland Place at San Pedro Avenue north of McCreless Hall.
Surveyors had equipment set up in the parking lot and, according to the student, were periodically changing positions next to a variety of cars within the area.
"One set the equipment by cars and would crane his head into the car," the student said. "I don't know if they were a part of a class, but they were not dressed professionally."
Several of the surveyors carried hand-held radios. The individual with the surveying rod looked into the cars and relayed information to the other workers, the student said.
After several minutes of repeating this practice, the student called on-campus security, and two officers from the district's department of public safety responded.
Cpl. Michael Nemcic, DPS campus coordinator, arrived with Patrol Officer William Cotham.
Nemcic said they met with the reporting female in Lot 3 where she explained exactly what the surveyors had been doing since she first noticed them.
Cotham and Nemcic approached two of the surveyors and questioned them separately to discover their purpose on the premises.
The surveyors had been periodically changing their positions along a row of cars in the lot while using the cars to brace themselves when bending over to mark the curb with spray paint.
"They were contracted by the school," Nemcic said. "They did show us the markings on the curb. They explained to us what they were doing. No crime was being committed."
Nemcic said the student felt she had been a hindrance to the surveyors.
"The young lady saw the activity, stayed in a safe place and stayed in the area where she could keep an eye on them," Nemcic said.
They encourage students and employees to report anything out of the ordinary that may signal criminal activity because officers can't be everywhere.
At 1:30 p.m. Feb. 28, a student of this campus reported suspicious activity in Lot 3 on West Courtland Place at San Pedro Avenue north of McCreless Hall.
Surveyors had equipment set up in the parking lot and, according to the student, were periodically changing positions next to a variety of cars within the area.
"One set the equipment by cars and would crane his head into the car," the student said. "I don't know if they were a part of a class, but they were not dressed professionally."
Several of the surveyors carried hand-held radios. The individual with the surveying rod looked into the cars and relayed information to the other workers, the student said.
After several minutes of repeating this practice, the student called on-campus security, and two officers from the district's department of public safety responded.
Cpl. Michael Nemcic, DPS campus coordinator, arrived with Patrol Officer William Cotham.
Nemcic said they met with the reporting female in Lot 3 where she explained exactly what the surveyors had been doing since she first noticed them.
Cotham and Nemcic approached two of the surveyors and questioned them separately to discover their purpose on the premises.
The surveyors had been periodically changing their positions along a row of cars in the lot while using the cars to brace themselves when bending over to mark the curb with spray paint.
"They were contracted by the school," Nemcic said. "They did show us the markings on the curb. They explained to us what they were doing. No crime was being committed."
Nemcic said the student felt she had been a hindrance to the surveyors.
"The young lady saw the activity, stayed in a safe place and stayed in the area where she could keep an eye on them," Nemcic said.
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