Posts Tagged “DPS”

At some point between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. this evening, a residence in Kennedy Hall was burglarized, as jewelry, clothing and money were taken from the student’s room. The public safety alert describes the incident as “unforced”, suggesting that the door of the room was not locked.

No suspects or witnesses have been identified, and the Department of Public Safety and the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating the incident.

DPS requests that anyone who has information regarding this incident, or who noticed any suspects before or after the incident, to contact them immediately at (202) 687-4343.

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Update, 3:28 p.m.: In a public safety alert issued this afternoon, the Department of Public Safety offered a few details about the event. The alert also notes, “additional arrests related to this case are expected.”

Original post, 12:14 p.m. In a flurry of police activity that included multiple Department of Public Safety and Metropolitan Police Department squad cars, undercover DPS officers, and one MPD helicopter providing aerial support, two individuals suspected of burglarizing St. Mary’s were arrested in Burleith late last night.

The successful night for DPS and MPD comes after a spate of burglaries and other crimes in the area. According to University spokesperson Stacy Kerr, last night’s incident began when members of DPS’s Community Action Team, who were a part of increased security measures after multiple burglaries at the Medical Center, witnessed unknown individuals leaving St. Mary’s carrying computer equipment and boxes. The DPS officers were plain-clothed and monitoring the north end of campus in unmarked vehicles.

At this point, the undercover officers contacted MPD and followed the suspects to a large SUV parked on 37th Street, just north of Reservoir Road. One suspect was arrested there at 11:07 p.m.

DPS and MPD worked together to canvas the neighborhood to locate other suspects. One resident of Burleith tweeted shortly after the first suspect was arrested that DPS was looking for two men suspected of burglarizing St. Mary’s. Around this time, MPD also dispatched a helicopter with a searchlight to assist the search for suspects.

Within the next hour, at 38th and T Streets NW, another suspect (pictured above) was apprehended by reimbursable detail officers from MPD that the University pays to assist neighborhood patrols. According to an undergraduate who lives nearby, the apprehending officer tackled the suspect to the ground. This suspect was held on the curb on T Street for over an hour, during which time police searched a bag they found with the suspect and discovered a large roll of duct tape among other items.

DPS continues to work with MPD on this ongoing investigation. Several computers and other equipment were recovered by police during the incident.

Photo: Jackson Perry

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Update, 1:20 p.m., February 4: According to the Department of Public Safety daily crime log for Wednesday, DPS officers “responded to a verbal altercation which escalated into physical contact between an affiliate and his spouse” at New South at approximately 11:17 p.m. The report classifies the incident as “domestic violence.”

Original post, 1:54 a.m., February 3: After an incident on Wednesday night that involved Emmanuel Kornyo and his wife and provoked a 911 call, Kornyo is no longer the Chaplain-in-Residence on the third floor of New South Hall and his biography has been removed from the University’s website. According to a resident of the floor, Kornyo left the building at approximately 6 p.m. Thursday night and his name has been removed from the door of his former apartment.

Shortly before 3 p.m. Thursday, residents of the third floor received an email (excerpted here) from hall director James Lorello, informing them that they would not have a Chaplain-in-Residence for the time being:

As you may know an incident did occur last night on your floor related to our chaplain in residence.

I wanted to reach out to inform everyone that the situation has been taken care of and that everything is fine. For the time being there will be no Chaplain on the third floor. I apologize that I can not give more details about this incident but you can trust that everything has been dealt with.

Lorello’s email concluded by providing the contact information of Assistant Director of Residence Life Katie Heather and Director of the GU Women’s Center Laura Kovach.

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Shortly before noon yesterday, a Georgetown employee reported to the Department of Public Safety that a laptop computer had been stolen from his office, according to a DPS public safety alert. DPS’s initial investigation showed that forced entry had been made to steal the laptop, which had been on the desk. The employee told DPS that he had left his office Monday afternoon around 1:00 p.m., returning Tuesday morning at 11:45 a.m. to discover the theft.

A nearby office was also burglarized, but nothing was taken. There are no known suspects in the incident.

DPS requests that anyone who has information regarding this incident or who noticed any suspects before or after the incident, to contact them immediately at (202) 687-4343.

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Hoya thinks this “White Student’s Union” is much ado about nothing:

We already have a White Student Union. It’s called GUSA.

Tim has an idea for the future of the Corp:

Working cameras, pursuing a suspect, and getting a license plate? Sounds like the Corp should run DPS.

Babs isn’t impressed with our expansive bureaucracy:

I think the question should be: do we need a funding board that circumvents access to benefits?

Interrogative delicately poses a question that has been troubling their mind:

What the balls is Page 13?

In response, outraged hurts our feelings:

What they replaced the only good section of The Voice with.

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Last night, two burglaries occurred within 45 minutes of each other at two student residences, both within a block from the front gates in West Georgetown. In a public safety alert, the Department of Public Safety did not suggest if the two were linked, other than to include both within the same alert.

The first incident took place in the 1400 block of 36th Street at approximately 9:56 p.m. A Georgetown student told authorities that an unknown male emerged from a nearby closet while she was sitting her living room. Asked what he was doing there, the man said that he was looking for a party. After the suspect fled the scene, MPD was notified and arrived shortly thereafter. DPS and MPD canvassed the area with negative results.

The suspect in the first incident is described as a 6’0″ black male in his early twenties, with a medium build, wearing a black North Face hooded jacket with black sunglasses.

Presumably while or shortly after DPS and MPD were canvassing the area in response to the first burglary, a second took place in the 3600 block of O Street, around the corner from the 1400 block of 36th street, at approximately 10:30 p.m. Another Georgetown student told police that when she arrived to her residence, she heard a noise coming from upstairs. After going to check it out, she went inside the bedroom and saw an unknown person there. When the student screamed, the unknown person ran down the stairs and fled via the back door. MPD was notified and arrived at the scene. DPS and MPD again canvassed the area with negative results.

The suspect in this second incident is described as a 6’0″ person of unknown gender and race, with a medium build. The suspect was wearing a dark hooded jacket and white gloves, with a mask covering his or her face.

Both incidents are being investigated under the direction of MPD. DPS is requesting that anyone who has information about this incident, or who noticed any suspects before or after the incident, to contact them immediately at (202) 687-4343.

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Last week, Vox reported on the University’s search for a new Police Chief to manage the Department of Public Safety. The Voice’s special investigations unit, Page 13, has obtained a preliminary draft of the job posting. Our University source, who wishes to remain anonymous, thought this draft description may better represent the position to any potential applicants. Click here for the final, published draft. What follows is the unedited first draft of the University’s description of the Police Chief position.

The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is responsible for maintaining a year-round, safe environment at the front gates, in Copley Formal and around the Alumni Lounge. Its staff consists of the Police Chief, Associate and Assistant Directors, Patrol Captain, Sergeants, and recently-hired, former Rent-a-Cops who were not informed their positions lack firearms.

DPS officers are commissioned “special” police officers, vested through the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, with full powers of intimidation on campus property. DPS works closely with the Metropolitan Police Department and District of Columbia Fire Department, much to their chagrin.

The Police Chief reports directly to the Vice President for University Safety, who coincidentally is being removed from the Police Chief position (good luck with that!). The Office of University Safety reports to the Senior Vice President and oversees planning and response efforts for emergency situations.

[At this point in the draft copy Page 13 obtained, handwritten comments from the pen of President DeGioia appear. We have reproduced them here to the best of our ability.] Despite being in the work of “public safety”, we need a police chief who isn’t afraid of giving orders to pepper spray the hell out of protesters. Nothing annoys us more than protesters voicing their “opinion” in Red Square. First thing that happens is a couple of people gather…[unintelligible]….and the hippies control the school! [Scrawl continues for several more lines, but lacking a DeGioia stone, we are sadly unable to decipher its meaning.]

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Look’s like there’s gonna be a new sheriff in town. Georgetown is looking for a new Chief of Police. Last week, the University posted a job opening for the position of Police Chief in the Department of Public Safety on various websites, including the Washington Post.

What this means for the current Chief of Police is unclear. Since June 2010, Vice President of University Safety Rocco DelMonaco (pictured) has exercised operational command of DPS. In his capacity as GU Chief of Police, DelMonaco has recently begun writing a column as a part of Georgetown’s effort to appease the neighbors. In “Rocky’s Reports”, DelMonaco heroically ”separates fact from fiction, sets the record straight, and keeps you in the know on campus and neighborhood public safety matters.”

The search for a new Chief of Police indicates that DelMonaco may be returning to a more limited administrative portfolio. Asked if the search means a reduction of DelMonaco’s authority, Stacy Kerr, University Assistant Vice President for Communications, issued this statement in an e-mail to Vox:

The safety of our students and members of the university community is the top priority for Georgetown. The enhancement of a DPS Police Chief reflects how seriously we take the responsibility of campus safety.

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At approximately 8:25 p.m., a Georgetown University student was robbed on the 3500 block of P Street NW. As three suspects passed the victim of the robbery, one grabbed her purse and the three fled the scene. According to a public safety alert, another student who was in the area chased down the suspects and was able to reclaim the stolen property. The heroic student was treated at the scene for minor injuries sustained during the incident.

One of the three suspects is described in the Department of Public Safety alert as a 5’10” black male with dreadlocks, wearing a dark jacket and a black hooded sweatshirt. There is no description of the other two suspects available.

DPS and MPD responded to the scene, but did not locate the suspects. DPS has requested that anyone who has information regarding this to contact them at (202) 687-4343.

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Last night at approximately 9:10 p.m., a Georgetown student was robbed by two men, one of whom displayed a knife, on the 1800 block of 38th Street NW in Burleith, between S and T Streets. According to a public safety alert, the two suspects emerged from bushes and approached the victim, one suspect grabbing him from behind while the other brandished a knife. The suspects took the victim’s wallet and fled the scene. MPD responded to the scene in vain.

One suspect is described in the Department of Public Safety alert as a 5’10” black male weighing 175 pounds, while the other suspect is an approximately 5’9” black male weighing 190-200 pounds and armed with a knife. Both suspects were wearing bandannas to cover their faces and dark clothing.

DPS is requesting that anyone who has information about this incident, or who noticed any suspects before or after the incident, to contact them immediately at (202) 687-4343.

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