It’s been quite a while since we’ve had some true campus crime on Wonkhe. In the meantime our exceptional security staff have had to cope with even more challenging situations beyond those previously published here in 50 previous editions of True Crime on Campus and which appear in the excellent book of the same name. Of course, as the security website shows, they deal with much more than these. Similar services are performed by security teams at universities across the sector. Everyone in HE have much to be thankful to them for.
So we really do need to catch up on a few recent (and some older) incidents:
23:47 Security attended a report of noisy room occupants and items being thrown from the whe room into the rear car park at Hall. On arrival Security witnessed two male students carrying a mattress back into Hall. One of the students advised that the mattress had been thrown out of their room window but he was not sure who had done this as he wasn’t present in the room at the time. The student provided details of two further students that were in his room at the time. Security to follow up. Hall Warden informed.
03:25 Security reported a highly intoxicated male student crossing the road at the top of Keighton Hill carrying a large white chess piece. The student later dropped the chess piece down the side of the Maths building. Security followed the male in to the Maths building postgraduate room to obtain his ID. The student left the area and the chess piece was returned to the New Theatre life-sized chess board. Security to follow up.
16:32 Security attended a report of two males riding BMX bikes on the balcony near to the windows of the David Ross Sports Village. Security asked the males to leave and they protested. The males eventually proceeded past the DRSV pulling wheelies and tricks on the bikes leaving site via the gate behind Lenton Lodge.
1240 Patrol Security Officers spoke to a male on the Science site who claimed to be looking for the nest site of a Peregrine falcon. The Police are to be informed.
2000 Report of a bird in the Dining Hall. Security attended but were unable to remove the bird. [It is unclear whether the bird is still there.]
2355 Report of two Students very drunk in Hall. Security attended, both Students were feeling better as they had vomited and they left the Hall in a Taxi.
13:05 Officer called to Portland Building as the Building Attendant stated he had an item to hand over to Security. On arrival, BA handed over two knives, one a machete type knife and one small dagger-like knife in a wood and leather sheath, that were given into him from a member of staff conducting a lecture in the building. Security to follow up.
0610 Security were asked to unlock DRSV as the key holder had managed to lock the keys for the building in their house and were unable to get into the house to get them.
1129 Report that a number of the outdoor Chess pieces had been found in Hall having been removed from the landscaped area adjacent to New Theatre. The Hall Warden is to be informed and Security are also to follow up. A number of the pieces have been broken.
1000 Report that a Student attending a Debating Society event had glow stick fluid in her eyes. She refused any treatment until the debate was over.
1320 Report of a suspicious bag on East Drive, the bag had been secured to a Lamp post. Security attended and removed the bag. The owner was traced and given advice.
17:18 Officers called to attend Hall to assist Hall Management staff in removing three males who had entered the Hall and were knocking on several doors and preaching religious material to students. Males found and taken to the foyer, where it was explained to them that what they were doing was unacceptable. All three males were found to be students, and were all understanding, polite and compliant. They were allowed to remain in the Hall on the proviso that they didn’t knock on any more doors and only visited their friend’s room.
1840 Report from a member of Staff who works in the Nottingham Medical School. They stated that may have left a portable heater on under their desk. Security attended and turned the heater off.
0245 Patrol Security Officers found a pile of clothing burning at the side of Beeston Lane adjacent to Sherwood Hall. The clothing was put out; there was no sign of anyone in the area.
2200 Report of a disturbance in Hall. Security attended and spoke to the residents of one of the flats. The occupants explained that they were having an emotional conversation.
08:15 Domestic member of staff in Hall reported that a student’s room had a CCTV camera and a large padlock and chain around his wardrobe. Officer attended the room to meet with the student, who stated that when he goes out or leaves the city he stores his valuables locked inside the wardrobe, and that the CCTV camera is a ‘dummy camera’ that acts as a deterrent against potential intruders. Security and Hall staff to follow up.
1833 Report that a Chess piece from the outdoor set had been found in Hall. Security attended and returned it to the set.
If you’ve enjoyed this or any of the previous editions of True Crime on Campus then you’ll be keen to get hold of the recently published book of the same name. You can order it for only a fiver (just £5) directly from the University of Nottingham online shop. The book includes an outstanding selection of the many hundreds of bizarre, unfortunate, inexplicable and just plain weird campus crime reports have appeared over the years. Bertie, a key member of the @UoNLibraries team, is a big fan of the book
At least half of any profits from the sale of this book will be given to support the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre at the University of Nottingham to create a brighter future for children with brain tumours. You can find out more about the work of the Centre here.
