Tip of the Week: According to Provo Police Officer Cliff Argyle, since Oct. 22 there have been 30 residential burglaries immediately south of BYU campus. One suspect, a 6-foot, 200-pound Caucasian male, enters unlocked apartments and takes electronic equipment and cash. BYU Police's Lieutenant Arnold Lemmon asks students to lock their doors and to also keep a personal record of serial numbers of all electronic devices. Serial numbers make it easier to retrieve stolen goods.

Criminal Mischief

Feb. 5: A female parked in a lot near the Harris Fine Arts Center. When she returned to her car someone has deflated her tires. The female said that she hadn't received any threatening calls or emails. The event is currently under investigation.

Feb. 7: A car was seen cruising the Marriott Center parking lot with a passenger throwing snowballs out of their window. The car was not there when police responded.

Feb. 9: A Heritage Hall resident reported suspicious characters throwing eggs at Richards Hall. When police responded the people were gone. No damage was done to the dorm.

Fraud

Feb. 8: Workers at the Cougareat called BYU police when they received a counterfeit $20 bill. Upon investigation it was determined that the bill was not counterfeit and was actual legal tender.

Hazardous Material

Feb. 7: A custodian was cleaning out the W. W. Clyde Engineering Building when she was pricked by a syringe-type needle from inside a garbage bag. Risk management was notified and the event is under investigation. The custodian is in good health.

Harassment

Feb. 11: A BYU custodian was threatened by a group of people playing a pick-up game of soccer in the Smith Field House. The custodian confronted the group because they were not complying with regulations. They yelled at him and threatened to mess him up. The ringleader was not a BYU Student and BYU Police asked him to leave the premises.

Feb 11: A female student filed a report with BYU Police because she fears her ex-boyfriend may stalk her. The situation is being monitored

Feb 11: A female Wymount resident received a suspicious phone call in her home at 1:30 p.m. The male caller claimed to be from the psychology department and said he could try to help her relax. He got her to turn off the lights and lay down on her bed. The phone call ended when the girl's cell phone battery died. BYU Police told her she should notify her phone company next time she receives a call so that they can trace it.

Suspicious Behavior

Feb. 8: A woman reported a suspicious group of people standing around in a parking lot south of BYU campus. When the police responded the group had already left.

Feb. 8: A suspicious red vehicle was reported in a parking lot near LaVell Edwards Stadium. Upon being questioned the couple sitting in the car claimed that they were just studying.

Feb. 10: A woman was reported screaming between two dorm halls in Helaman Halls. When officers responded the witness and the woman were nowhere to be found.

Theft

Feb. 3: A BYU Bookstore employee saw a 19-year-old male BYU student putting candy in his pocket that he had not paid for. When confronted he admitted he had stolen the candy and that he had done so before. He was arrested an issued a misdemeanor citation.

Feb. 7: A female left her purse on the side of the indoor track while she went running. Thirty minutes later she returned but her purse with her keys, wallet, and cell phone was nowhere to be found. The purse was recovered three days later in Pleasant Grove in the bed of a truck. BYU Police suspect that someone took it and stripped it and then threw it away. The contents of the girl's purse were intact.

Feb. 8: A Brewster Building employee had an ipod, radio and speaker stolen from his office. The items are estimated at a cumulative $200. The employee said he liked to listen to music in his office but would often leave the item unattended. After the theft was reported a co-worker came forward with the items and said he was trying to play a practical joke on a friend.

Feb. 8: A bicycle was stolen out of a bicycle rack east of the Ezra Taft Benson Building. The owner of the bike said it was worth $100 and that it had been locked. BYU Police believes that the lock was clipped and that the thief took the pieces with him.

Copyright Brigham Young University 13 Feb 2008