Police filed 268 reports from Oct. 1 to 29, a slightly larger amount than the same time last year, University Police spokeswoman Sgt. Rosanne Hoaas said.

In 2013, police filed 239 reports during this time and responded to 4,097 incidents. This year, they have responded to 3,921 incidents. 

Assault:

An argument between a taxi driver and his passenger on University Boulevard led to a shoving match and a police response Oct. 10.

The two started a verbal dispute after the passenger attempted to pay the fare. The driver pushed the passenger to the ground and then saw he held a screwdriver. The driver then left the area.

Neither party is affiliated with the university and neither pressed charges.

Police also responded to an assault case at Centreville Hall on Oct. 20 at 10:44 p.m. What began as an argument between two roommates transformed into a wrestling match. One roommate suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital.

Fire:

Officers responded to a fire alarm in Prince Frederick Hall after a worker heard sparks coming from an elevator Oct. 8, Hoaas said.

After hearing the sparks from the mechanical room that houses the elevator equipment at about 10:40 a.m., the worker also noticed smoke coming from the control panel. The alarm sounded and officials fixed any problem. The smoke or sparks did no damage to the elevator, Hoaas said.

Police also reported fire damage from the second floor of the South Campus Dining Hall that resulted in minor damage Oct. 17.

In this instance, police found a computer part of the WMUC campus radio station burned, Hoaas said. On the rooftop garden, police also found a burnt cone, Dining Services Assistant Director Greg Thompson said. No other damage was reported.

Burglary:

University Police arrested a student for burglary at Byrd Stadium on Oct. 4.

Police cameras spotted three individuals climbing over the stadium gates at about midnight, Hoaas said. The individuals ran from the police until one was arrested, and the other two were later charged.

The Security Operations Center alerted the police to the incident, thanks to one of more than 500 cameras monitoring the campus around the clock, according to the Department of Public Safety website. 

Suspicious Individual:

Officers responded to a student’s claim that a man repeatedly followed her around the campus, Hoaas said.

Police located the man at McKeldin Library on Oct. 18 at about 3 p.m., “sent him on his way” and advised him to stop following the student or face arrest, Hoaas said. The man is not affiliated with the university.

Police use the term suspicious person or suspicious activity to define someone behaving inappropriately or in a way that might alert or worry students, she said.

Vandalism:

Police charged a student for malicious destruction of property for smashing a glass part of a door at Tawes Hall on Oct. 18.

“An officer found the individual sitting at the courtyards of Tawes … with non-life threatening injuries to their arm,” Hoaas said. The individual “applied pressure” to the glass part of the door, breaking it.

Police also responded to the South Campus Dining Hall for a report of vandalism Oct. 27 at 6:24 a.m. Someone shattered a windows of a state government vehicle and a door was also damaged, but nothing was taken.

Counterfeit:

South Campus Dining Hall workers found a counterfeit $20 bill while working on deposits Oct. 22. Police took the bill as evidence and reported it to the government, Hoaas said.

“This happens every so often, but most of the time you don’t know its fake until after the fact,” she said.