The following summary includes all major incidents reported to the Department of Public Safety between Nov. 1 and Nov. 14. It does not include general service and alarm calls. The Providence Police Department also responds to incidents occurring both on and off campus. DPS does not divulge information on open cases that are currently under investigation by the department, the PPD or the Office of Student Life. DPS maintains a daily log of all shift activity and general service calls which can be viewed during business hours at its headquarters, located at 75 Charlesfield St.
Friday, Nov. 2:3:20 p.m. A Brown employee reported that her vehicle on Charlesfield Street had been broken into and the radio had been taken. Providence Police responded and took the report.
Saturday, Nov. 3:1:41 a.m. While on patrol, an officer observed two individuals - later identified as Brown students - trying to open windows at Grant Fulton Hall. When asked what they were doing, they explained that they were just trying to get inside so they could play the piano. They were advised the building was locked and that gaining access this way is breaking and entering. They were released from the scene and the case has been turned over to the Office of Student Life.
5:47 p.m. A Brown student reported that his bicycle had been stolen on Oct. 21 between the hours of 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. from 166 Waterman St. He filed a report with Providence Police the day after the larceny and then chose to file a report with this department after reading an article about the recent bike thefts.
7:03 p.m. Student occupants reported they left their dorm room door in Chapin House locked on Nov. 2 at approximately 2 p.m. and returned on Nov. 3 at approximately 7 p.m. and found their dorm room door and handle broken. The door was open. They searched the room and found nothing was missing. There are no suspects at this time.
7:23 p.m. Reporting person stated that, due to high winds, a metal construction fence at 195 Meeting St. had fallen on his vehicle and broke the driver's side mirror. The officer assisted in lifting the fencing from the vehicle and observed the broken mirror and minor scratches.
9:56 p.m. A Brown student reported seeing a former Brown student throw a football at the exit sign located on the first floor southeast hallway of Chapin House. The suspect fled before police arrived, and Facilities Management was notified to fix the broken sign.
Sunday, Nov. 4:12:16 a.m. It was reported that a window on the door of East Andrews had been smashed. Facilities Management was notified.
Monday, Nov. 5:11:19 a.m. A male walking down Thayer Street near Vartan Gregorian Quad A informed an officer of a bullet casing on the ground. It was in the dirt area near a tree located on the south side of the gate near the curb. The casing was placed in an evidence bag and taken to DPS headquarters.
3:50 p.m. A Brown student reported her mountain bike was left on the bike rack outside Andrews Hall, was secured with a cable combination lock and was last seen at about 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 22. When she returned at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 5, she discovered that her cable combination lock and bike were gone. The bike was not registered with the Department of Public Safety. There are no suspects at this time.
4:34 p.m. Student reported that his bicycle was stolen from near the Sharpe Refectory sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. He said he did not have his bike secured to the rack with the lock, but the lock was wrapped around the upper rail of the frame. The bike is registered with DPS. There are no suspects at this time.
Tuesday, Nov. 6:1:51 a.m. Officers responded to a call of an assault. A Brown student reported he was walking west on Charlesfield Street next to Health Services toward Brown Street, rolling his cello in a big case, when a white male unknown to him asked him some nonsensical questions. The unknown male then began punching him in the face. Then the suspect ran away as a Sterling guard who witnessed the event chased the suspect. The suspect got into a waiting vehicle which left the area. The student was taken to Rhode Island Hospital for evaluation. Providence Police and DPS detectives are investigating.
10:00 a.m. A music professor reported that two pieces of music equipment were missing from a storage area in Steinert Hall. The incident occurred sometime between Oct. 8 at 12 p.m. and Oct. 29 at 10 a.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 7: 3:39 p.m. A dining employee stated he placed his cell phone on a shelf near the dishwasher in the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall around 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 6. When he went to retrieve it at 8 p.m., it was gone. There are no suspects or witnesses.
Saturday, Nov. 10:10:58 a.m. Complainant stated that on Nov. 9 her wallet was taken out of her jacket, which was left unattended at a party in Machado House. There are no suspects at this time. On Nov. 10 at approximately 2 p.m., a University custodian found the wallet outside Machado House and gave it to a DPS officer. Missing from the wallet were cards and cash.
4:35 p.m. An officer was dispatched to meet with a student who placed her jacket and purse against a wall as she went to work out at the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center. She returned 30 minutes later to find that her purse was missing. At approximately 5:50 p.m. a Sterling officer found the purse near a heating duct connected to the Bio-Medical Center. The reporting party responded to DPS headquarters at 75 Charlesfield St. to review the contents of her purse. The only thing missing were two books of stamps. There are no suspects at this time.
2:00 a.m. An officer was dispatched to Buxton House to take a report of property damage to a toilet bowl. Upon arrival on scene the custodial supervisor was already standing by. He informed the officer that a few residents of the fourth floor had called Facilities Management about the toilet. He had already been in the bathroom at the time and called in that the mess needed immediate attention. The tank for the toilet was shattered and gallons of water overflowed into much of the hallway. The officer spoke with the residents who stated they did not know what happened. They said there had been a party in a common area outside the suite, and to their best guess, someone found their way into the suite and broke the toilet when no one was around.
Sunday, Nov. 11:11:02 a.m. While admitting a student who was locked out of a room, an officer noticed two damaged exit signs in Bronson House. Facilities Management was notified.
3:04 p.m. An officer was dispatched to meet with Facilities Management personnel in regards to 17 ceiling mounted exit signs that were smashed, ripped down and/or missing from the first through fourth floors in Emery Hall. The damage was estimated between $4,000 and $5,000. There are no suspects at this time.
8:48 p.m. Officers were dispatched to Ives Street in reference to a noise complaint. The complainant was an East Side resident. Upon arrival officers observed what appeared to be broken bottles of glass on the porch, sidewalk and in the street. Providence Police were on scene and asked the occupants, who are all Brown students, to step outside. After further investigation it was discovered that the noise was coming from the second floor apartment. Officers proceeded to the second floor and discovered a large table in the living room with open cans of beer and cups arranged on opposite sides. There was also a keg located on the second floor terrace. When asked about the noise, the student to whom the apartment is leased stated that she did have friends over but was not aware of how the broken glass got outside. She stated that she was not at the residence in the early morning hours of Nov. 11 at the time the complainant observed individuals from her second floor apartment throwing bottles out of the window. Providence Police did not issue a noise citation but verbally warned the second floor occupants on the noise and requested that they sweep all the broken glass off Ives Street and the adjacent sidewalk. This case has been forwarded to the Office of Student Life.
9:42 p.m. An officer was dispatched for a report of three subjects trying to get into a window in Meehan Auditorium. Upon arrival, the officer noticed the three subjects standing in front of the auditorium. Sterling Security informed the officer that the three subjects were responsible for graffiti on the front doors of Meehan Auditorium. A switchblade was found in the front pocket of a subject, and it was confiscated from him. A marker was found near the scene and tagged as evidence. All subjects were identified as Rhode Island School of Design students and were released to the RISD Public Safety sergeant. Facilities Management was called to have the graffiti removed. DPS detectives are investigating the matter.
Tuesday, Nov. 13:3:02 p.m. An officer spoke with a Brown student who stated that on Nov. 9 at approximately 11:15 p.m. he left his dorm room in Perkins Hall for 15 minutes. He stated his door was left open and when he returned his wallet was missing. The wallet was located in the rear pocket of his blue jeans, which were on his bed. There are no suspects at this time.
11:14 p.m. An officer was dispatched to speak with a Brown student who stated that his laptop computer was stolen. It was last seen on Nov. 13 at 10:30 a.m. The student went to class and when he returned to his dorm room in Minden Hall at approximately 11 p.m., he noticed the laptop was missing and called DPS. The student also stated that an unknown black male had entered his room and when confronted as to his reasons for being there, the unidentified man stated he was looking for the reporting person's roommate. This subject then went into another room and engaged in conversation with another Brown student who advised the officer that the subject stated that he was told he could teach him to "burn CDs." The student then stated he did not know the subject's name, that he did not even know this person and believed he was not a Brown student. The victim of the laptop theft left for class before the unknown subject left the suite. DPS detectives are investigating.
