University of Maryland Police Chief David Mitchell.
University Police responded to 205 incidents in March, a slight drop from February’s 218 incidents and the same number as March 2012, University Police spokesman Sgt. Aaron Davis said.
Unattended property theft continues to be police’s main concern, and they made seven such arrests in March. Theft is a crime of opportunity, Davis said, and students should be careful about leaving valuables unattended.
March’s 205 incidents included theft, fraud, assault and harassment.
THEFT — On March 3, a student reported his jacket missing at a basketball game at about 1:50 p.m. He left the jacket on the floor, and when he returned to his seat, the jacket and his Motorola Q smartphone, which was in a pocket, were missing.
Davis said there is not much an officer can do immediately about a stolen cellphone — especially if the phone isn’t a smartphone.
Police are still investigating the theft, he said.
FRAUD — On March 7, event staff counting proceeds from a basketball game reported a counterfeit $20 bill.
Police turned the bill over to the Secret Service, Davis said. Counterfeiting is not a common occurrence on the campus, but when it does happen, it usually involves just a single bill, he said.
In January, police found another counterfeit bill, but Davis said he does not believe there is a connection between the two incidents.
The Secret Service is currently reviewing the case.
ASSAULT — On March 1, police responded to reports of a fight at 13 Fraternity Row at about 1:50 a.m. When officers arrived on the scene, they attempted to break up the fight, and an 18-year-old student allegedly refused to cooperate, Davis said.
Police said the student then attempted to tackle the officer. Officers were able to subdue the student, but he allegedly began thrashing around and reportedly kicked an officer in the face.
Davis said that kind of resistance is rare — participants in a broken-up fight usually don’t turn on officers. Police charged the student with assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct.
“This guy was inebriated,” Davis said. “It’s hard to say what a rational person would do.”
HARASSMENT — At about 3:30 p.m. on March 11, a female student reported that her ex-boyfriend was harassing her. The suspect allegedly called the female student repeatedly, becoming more aggressive with each call, Davis said.
When students report harassment, the Threat Assessment Team interviews both the suspect and victim to make sure there is no immediate threat to student safety. In this case, Davis said, there was no evidence of physical violence, but the victim was granted a protective order. Police charged the suspect with telephone misuse and harassment.
