Crime jumps as students return

As students settled back into the campus in September, University Police geared up to tend to more crime than they saw from the sleepy summer town.

University Police responded to more than 340 crimes and other incidents — including reports of counterfeit bills in dining halls and laptop thefts — throughout the month.

HARASSMENT/STALKING — A female student called police Sept. 1 after a male made comments that made her uncomfortable on a Shuttle-UM bus at about 1 p.m., police said.

"If someone is behaving in such a way in which your instincts tell you something is wrong, get away from the person and notify the police immediately," University Police spokesman Capt. Marc Limansky said. "Your instincts are a natural gift. Trust them."

INJURED OFFICER — On Sept. 2, a University Police officer saw a male on a bicycle in Lot Z violate several traffic laws and tried to stop him, but the cyclist fled on his bike, Limansky said. The officer tried to stop the individual again later that day, and eventually caught up with him. The person further resisted arrest and the officer sustained a minor elbow injury during a struggle with him. Police arrested the male at about 1:30 p.m.

"Had the individual simply stopped when the officer instructed him to, the person would likely have received a warning or citation for the violation rather than being arrested for fleeing from the officer," Limansky said.

AUTOMOBILE THEFT — On Sept. 3, police responded to a report of items stolen from a car parked in the Union Lane Parking Garage, Limansky said. They found the vehicle's window open, and determined a GPS unit, CD case and two phone chargers were stolen between 12:30 and 3 a.m. There are no suspects in the case.

STUCK IN AN ELEVATOR — A group of people got stuck in an elevator in Ellicott Hall on Sept. 3 at about 3 a.m., and police said they were unsure how long they were stuck before firemen pried the doors open.

VANDALISM — At least five cars were damaged during the month, police said, including a 1992 BMW outside the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house, a 2004 Nissan Maxima in a Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity parking spot and a car on Rossborough Lane.

FIRE — The College Park Fire Department extinguished a newspaper fire in a dumpster at the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house on Sept. 4 at about 11 p.m. The case is still active.

BURGLARY — An individual broke a University Courtyards apartment window on Sept. 5 and stole a computer at about 8:45 p.m.

On Sept. 13, a student left her Hagerstown Hall dorm open for two hours and later discovered her laptop was missing, police said.

Thirty minutes later, police responded to a Denton Hall burglary, in which expensive electronics were stolen from a student's unlocked room.

"Theft of unattended property is a crime of opportunity," Limansky said. "Let's not give the criminals the opportunity."

On Sept. 19, another student left his door unlocked while showering in Elkton Hall and noticed his MacBook was gone when he returned. The case is still open.

Another laptop was stolen from Ellicott Hall when a student left a dorm room unlocked Sept. 23.

STOLEN MOTOR VEHICLE — Four motor scooters were stolen Sept. 14 between noon and 6:15 p.m., and all the cases are still active, police said. Two thefts occurred at Garrett Hall, one at the Leonardtown Community Center and one at Memorial Chapel.

ASSAULT — On Sept. 14 at about 8 p.m., an assault victim saw a male and a female arguing in Van Munching Hall. When he tried to help the female, the male punched him and fled, but the victim caught and identified him a short distance away, police said. Police filed charges and issued a criminal summons.

FRAUD — South Campus Dining Hall employees discovered two counterfeit bills, police said. They found a fake $5 bill Sept. 21 and a fake $10 bill Sept. 27. Both cases are still active.

egan@umdbk.com