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Police Beat

Police Beat • 03/22-24/2024

March 28, 2024 08:30 AM
Hand-pull Fire alarm

Police Officers responded to Merrill Hall for a Hand-pull station fire alarm. The officers arrived and performed a walk-through of the building. No evidence of smoke or flames was apparent. The residents had evacuated from the building. The officers silenced the alarm.

Medical

An officer and BYU EMS responded to a report of an individual having seizures in the MARB building. While en route, dispatch advised the patient had refused medical attention and left the scene.

Accident – Property Damage

A complainant called to report damage to a delivery truck owned by BYU catering services. The report was taken and the complainant was provided with a case number for the incident.

Property Damage

An officer contacted a complainant regarding a large delivery truck driving over the flower bed at the Wilkinson Student Center roundabout. The complainant had already contacted the grounds department and advised that they would contact the trucking company and tell them to tell their drivers to be more careful. The officer documented the incident.

Accident – Hit and Run

An officer was dispatched to phone contact on a delayed report of a hit-and-run traffic accident. The officer documented the information and provided the complainant with a case number.

Welfare Check

An officer was dispatched to Wyview Park on a request to check on a child. When the officer arrived, he located the child and checked their welfare. The child was okay and waiting for friends to come out and play.

Welfare Check

An officer responded to the area of the Crabtree on a report of a suspicious juvenile. When the officer arrived, the juvenile was gone.

Medical

An officer and BYU EMS responded to the Grant building on a medical call. BYUEMS treated and released the patient on the scene. The officer provided the patient with a shuttle home.

Suspicious

An officer took a report of suspicious keys found by custodial at the Wilkinson Student Center. The keys may be related to some kind of dating or stalking scheme. Contact was made with someone who had information about the keys being placed at the student center and the officer was told the keys were being placed around campus as a joke. The keys were disposed of by the officer.

Warrant Service

An officer contacted an individual at the Y trailhead. A records check revealed that the individual had a felony warrant for their arrest from another state. The individual was arrested for the warrant and booked into the Utah County Jail without incident.

Suspicious

Officers responded to the Wilkinson Student Center on a report of three adult men vaping, possibly with marijuana. When officers arrived, there was no one outside smoking in the area. Officers stayed in the area and did not observe anyone smoking marijuana.

Traffic Stop

A police officer observed a vehicle operating with an equipment violation. The officer initiated a traffic stop. During the traffic stop the officer discovered the vehicle was not insured. The vehicle was impounded, and the driver was cited for no proof of insurance and the equipment violation. The officer transported the driver to his home in Orem.

Trespassing

An officer responded to Wyview Park on a report of a person who had been banned from campus trespassing in the area. When the officer arrived, the individual was not there. This case has been referred to the investigations division for further follow-up.

Fire Alarm – Hand pull

Officers and Provo Fire were dispatched to Budge Hall for a report of a hand-pull fire alarm being activated. Officers responded and observed that there was no fire or smoke. The officers quickly determined that the alarm was a prank. The officers interviewed several individuals, and the case has been referred to the investigations division.

Activating a hand-pull fire alarm as a prank is a crime. It endangers others by tying up lifesaving emergency resources and personnel who are forced to respond to the prank instead of being available for actual emergencies. These pranks increase response times to real emergencies for fire and medical personnel who are stuck determining if the hand-pull incident is legitimate or a prank, increasing the risk to the public. If you or someone you know have information that could lead to the arrest of someone who has pulled a hand-pull fire alarm as a prank, contact the BYU Police Department immediately.

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Police Beat • 03/21/2024

March 28, 2024 07:37 AM
Citizen Contact

A complainant came to the BYU Police Station to report a bike theft. When the officer contacted the complainant again, they advised that they had found their bike and mixed up where they had parked it. There was no theft. 

Information

An officer was dispatched to contact a complainant who believed their car might have been scratched while parking in lot 05. The officer located the complainant's car on camera and reviewed recorded footage taken from when the car was parked in lot 05. No damage was observed being done to the car. The officer contacted the complainant and informed them of his findings.

Hit and Run

An officer responded to a delayed report of a hit-and-run traffic accident that occurred in lot 18. The officer documented the incident and provided the complainant with a case number.

 Hand-pull Fire alarm

Police officers and Provo Fire responded to Budge Hall when a fire alarm pull station in the building was pulled. The building was evacuated. No evidence of flame or smoke was present in the building. The alarm was silenced, and Provo Fire reset the alarm. BYU Police, the building Hall Advisor, and Resident Assistants performed extra patrols in the area.

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Police Beat • 03/20/2024

March 21, 2024 11:57 AM
Criminal Mischief

Officers responded to Merrill Hall on a report of a large group of males running through the halls of the building and throwing an egg inside the building. Officers identified and contacted the males. The males cleaned up the mess.

Found Property

A found wallet was turned over to the Police Department. An Officer was able to identify and contact the owner, but the owner was unable to pick it up at the time and asked that it be left at the front counter where they would pick it up the following day.

Medical

An officer and BYU EMS responded to the Richards Building on a report of a medical call. EMS treated and released the patient on the scene.

Medical

An officer and BYU EMS responded to the Wilkinson student center on a report of a medical call. EMS treated and released the patient on the scene.

Traffic Accident

Officers responded to Lot 20 on a report of an accident. A skateboarder was cutting across the parking lot and was hit by a passing car. The skateboarder had injuries and was treated by BYU EMS and Provo Fire and released on the scene. There was minor front-end damage to the vehicle.

Medical

An officer and BYU EMS responded to the Jesse Knight Building on a report of a medical call. EMS treated and released the patient on the scene.

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Police Beat • 03/19/2024

March 21, 2024 11:35 AM
Suspicious

A student reported a suspicious male followed them from the McKay Building, south on South Campus Drive, and to the area of Lot 6 where he walked away through the parking lot. The complainant said the male stayed 30-50 feet behind the complainant and never made any attempt to speak with them, but they felt nervous because he was dressed in all black and seemed out of place. This report was 30-40 minutes delayed and the complainant reported this incident to make the police aware of the incident. Officers checked the area, but the suspect was not located and there were no other reports.

Criminal Mischief

BYU Police were dispatched to the Y-Trailhead on a report of criminal mischief. Reporting parties advised there was graffiti on a wooden guard rail and a wooden bench along the trail. An officer responded to the area and photographed the vandalism. BYU Grounds was notified of the issue and stated they would remove the graffiti. This case will be closed unless additional information is received.

Information

An officer was requested to receive an information report at the Harold B. Lee Library. The officer responded and took the report. The information is under review by the investigations division.

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Police Beat • 03/16-18/2024

March 21, 2024 11:15 AM
Fire

An officer was dispatched to a Heritage Halls apartment to assist Provo Fire with a kitchen fire. When the officer arrived, there was no visible smoke or flames, and the residents of the building were evacuating. A resident of the apartment in question said they were cooking when their food caught fire. The resident put out the fire with a fire extinguisher.

Provo Fire arrived and confirmed the fire was out. The officer acknowledged and silenced the fire alarm, Provo Fire reset it. BYU Housing responded and assisted in ventilating the building. The Dispatch Center also contacted BYU Risk Management. The BYU Fire Marshall and Police Administration were notified of this incident.
 
Vehicle Fire

Officers and Provo fire responded to the Y-Trailhead on a report of a car fire. When units arrived, the fire had been put out and no one was injured. Provo Fire confirmed that the fire was out. The owner had the car towed from the lot.
 
Suspicious

An officer took a delayed phone report of suspicious behavior occurring at the Y-trailhead. The complainant reported that a group of males knocked on the complainant’s car door window and ran away at approximately 0200 hours. The males returned a second time and the complainant reported telling them to leave the complainant alone. A short time later the males returned and apologized. The complainant indicated that the interaction was unwanted but did not want to pursue further action.

Suspicious

An officer responded to the MTC to perform extra patrol in the area after an MTC security officer encountered an adult male outside of the MTC fence who was acting suspiciously. The adult male stated he was in the area to meet a girl and her cousin and then got in a black GMC truck and left the area. The adult male, who was identified by his Utah license plate, is a registered sex offender on the Utah Sex Offender Registry. The male left the area and did not return.
 
Welfare Check

BYU Police were dispatched to a welfare check in Helaman Halls. The complainant advised dispatch that a student had not been seen in class for some time. The officer contacted the subject of the welfare check and confirmed that they were okay.
 
Citizen Contact

A student reported that their bike was missing from a Wilkinson Student Center bike rack. A few minutes later the student called back stating that they had found their bike parked where they had forgotten they had parked it.

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Police Beat • (03/15/24)

March 18, 2024 01:30 PM
Paper Service
A person was served a BYU ban letter for being disruptive at the HBLL and other places around campus.

Medical
Officers and BYU EMTs were working an event at the Marriott Center. An event supervisor brought in an employee who had accidentally hit their head while working in the ticket office, causing a minor injury. BYU EMT's checked and cleared the patient.

Alarm
An officer responded to the Joseph Smith Building on a report of an alarm from a display case inside the building. The officer found a faculty member changing out the display, and they were unaware of the alarm.

Traffic Accident
An officer responded to lot 22 regarding a minor traffic accident. The complainant pulled out of a parking space and struck the vehicle beside them. The officer assisted in locating the owner of the vehicle struck. Both the driver and owner of the trucked vehicle exchanged vehicle information.

Bike Theft
An officer responded to a delayed bicycle theft report at Wyview Park. The complainant reported that their bike was stolen from a rack between January 2024 and March 15, 2024.

Suspicious
An employee at the Culinary Support Center received a call on the store phone. The person calling said a package with a list of items was sent to the CSC, and they have yet to receive payment. The caller said the package would be delivered in 45 minutes. The caller claimed UPS International was delivering the package and had another person claiming to be with UPS International call the store employee. The caller told the employee that payment for the package had yet to be made and that to deliver the package, at least a partial payment was needed. The caller wanted the complainant to get the money and drive to a taco location. The employee was able to talk with their manager and end the call. The Creamery on Ninth also received a call from the same number.

Suspicious
An officer responded to Lot 34, the parking lot south of the BYU tennis courts, to look for a suspicious person. The complainant said they saw and heard a man yelling at a woman and calling her a vulgar name near the tennis court parking lot. The complainant said they walked north on the sidewalk on 150 East and 800 North, saw the man walking in the same direction behind her, and believed the man was following her. The caller lost sight of the man and did not know where he had gone. Officers patrolled the area looking for the suspicious man but did not find him. The Dispatch Center searched the surveillance camera system looking for the complainant or the suspect but did not report locating any relevant video recordings.

Fire Alarm
An officer responded to Wyview Park for a fire alarm. Dispatch confirmed that the alarm was caused by smoke from cooking—there was no fire, flames, or damage.

Welfare Check
An officer responded to Heritage on a welfare check. A concerned parent from out of state reported that her daughter was visiting a friend who lives there. The concerned parent said their daughter had not checked in and was not returning phone calls or texts. The officer was able to contact the complainant's daughter, who had been hiking with friends out of cell service, and confirm that they were safe.

Information Report
An officer responded to Lot 46, the parking lot north of the West Campus Building, to check on a vehicle that had a car alarm sounding. The officer found a vehicle with flashing hazard lights, but no audible alarm sounded. The Dispatch Center was unable to find a phone number or other contact information for the vehicle's registered owner. Officers patrolled around the area but were not able to locate the owner.

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Police Beat • (03/14/2024)

March 15, 2024 12:43 PM
Agency Assist / Traffic Accident
Officers responded to South Campus Dr. on a traffic accident report with injuries but found the accident occurred at 450 East 800 North. Officers responded to the accident scene and assisted until Provo PD could send an officer.

Medical
An officer responded to the Smith Fieldhouse on a person passed out in room 193. The officer met with EMS, which was already on the scene. The patient was sitting up and talking with EMS personnel. The patient said they had over-exerted themself on a stationary bike.

Medical
An Officer responded to JKB to a student having a seizure. When the officers arrived, the student was not conscious and had shallow breathing. When Provo Paramedics and BYU EMS arrived, the patient was alert, conscious, and breathing. Paramedics believe the patient suffered an anxiety attack. The patient was treated and released.

Medical
BYU Police, Provo Paramedics, and BYU EMS responded to the Physical Facilities North building to a report of an individual with a head injury. The patient was treated and released on scene.

Traffic Accident
An officer responded to Lot 39 regarding a traffic accident. A bus was making a U-turn in the roundabout and hit a one-way sign, damaging the bus's side and fender and the sign.

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Police Beat • (03/13/2024)

March 14, 2024 01:35 PM
Medical
A BYU officer responded to a medical report at the JSB. A student had passed out and hit their head. BYU EMS and Provo Fire responded, checked the patient, and medically cleared them.

Property Damage
An officer responded by phone concerning a property damage report in Lot 18. The officer talked to the complainant who advised that the car next to them hit their car when they opened their door, causing a small ding in the complainant’s vehicle. The officer contacted the registered owner of the vehicle that had done the damage and was told that the registered owner’s child was the one using the vehicle for school at BYU. The owner gave the officer the phone number for their child. The officer is following up on the information.

Threatening
An officer responded to the SAB on an email threat that was sent to the athletic department. An unknown person sent an email having terroristic threats. The officer met with the complainant who shared the exact time that they received the threatening email. The officer gathered information, notified the Police Administration, and reported the case to the Investigations Division.

Traffic Accident
An officer responded to Lot 61 to take a traffic accident report. A student contacted the owner of a parked car and reported that they had accidentally backed into it, causing damage. The two owners exchanged information. The officer attached several pictures of the damaged vehicle to this report.

Traffic Accident
An officer was dispatched to Lot 16 on a report of a traffic accident involving a single vehicle that had side-swiped a bollard. There was minor damage to the vehicle and no apparent damage to the bollard. A report was taken and documented.

Welfare Check
Officers were dispatched south of the WSC on a 5-minute delayed report of an individual experiencing homelessness who needed to be checked on. Officers were near the area when the call was dispatched but were unable to locate the individual described.

Fire Alarm Pull Station Arrest
An officer received further information regarding a suspect involved in the pulling of the fire alarm at Budge Hall. The officer interviewed two suspects and one of them confessed to the alarm pull. The subject was issued a citation to Provo Justice Court.

Missing Person
An officer responded to the ESC regarding two missing 4th graders. While officers were responding, the complainant checked the school buses and found the missing students.

Lost Property
An officer took a lost property report by phone. A student left a computer charging cable in a lab in the Engineering Building. When the student returned an hour later, the cable was gone. Security camera footage shows a person taking the cable, straightening up the room, and checking the copy/printer paper levels as if they were a Teaching Assistant or has responsibility for the lab. The complainant will check with building care and find out who is responsible for the lab.

Agency Assist
Officers assisted Provo PD with transients who had taken up residency in the old apartment complex being demolished at 900 N 900 E. One suspect was taken into custody.

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Police Beat • (03/12/2024)

March 14, 2024 01:30 PM
Hand-pull Fire Alarm
On March 12, 2024, the hand-pull fire alarm at Helaman Halls Budge Hall was pulled. Officers responded and found that the building had been evacuated and the Provo Fire Department responded. It was discovered that the hand-pull was a false alarm. This is the sixth false alarm at Budge Hall in recent weeks. The residents were directed to contact BYU Police if they had any information as to who was pulling the alarms.

Lost Property
An officer was dispatched to a lost property detail at the USB. The reporting party was missing multiple packages that were shown as having been delivered to his office when they searched tracking information. The reporting party was unsure if they had been stolen or misplaced. The reporting party stated they would contact people in the area to try and locate the packages before listing them as stolen.

Lost Property
An officer responded to Helaman Drive on a possible theft/lost property. The complainant left their wallet, keys, and shirt under a bush next to a sidewalk and went for a run. The complainant returned about 10 minutes later and the items were missing. The complainant checked at the Cannon Center, Wilkinson Center, and MC lost and found and left their phone number with each location. The officer will follow up in a few days to see if the items are found.

Traffic Accident
An officer responded to a traffic accident in Lot 6. The driver of a parked vehicle had their driver's door open when a passing car hit the door and caused damage. The accident happened on private property and was a minor accident. Both drivers exchanged information.

Theft
An officer responded to the RB regarding a theft that occurred on 3/9/24. The complainant said they were playing badminton and left their wallet and keys by the basketball court. When the complainant returned, they noticed between $40.00 and $60.00 in cash missing from their wallet. The officer is reviewing security cameras.

Traffic Accident
BYU officers were dispatched to an accident at Wymount Terrace. A vehicle hit another vehicle on Wymount Terrace Drive causing the airbags to be deployed. Both parties involved refused medical treatment as no injuries were sustained. The officer gathered the information and facilitated the driver's information exchange. One vehicle was immobilized and required a tow truck. A towing company responded and towed the vehicle.

Traffic Accident
BYU Police were notified of a delayed hit and run. The reporting party had parked their vehicle at West Campus and noticed that it had been hit when they returned to the vehicle a few hours later. The reporting party provided photos and a timeframe of the accident. An officer gathered the details and is reviewing camera footage to try and locate a suspect.

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Police Beat • (03/09/2024 to 03/11/2024)

March 14, 2024 01:17 PM
Trespassing:
The BYU Dispatch Center received a call from a student about a suspicious incident that occurred earlier that evening at the Y-Trailhead. The student said that at about 9:00 p.m., they were sitting in a vehicle with a friend when a 50-60-year-old man approached them. The man did not state his name and they had not seen him previously. The man was driving a truck, but they did not notice the details of the vehicle. The man said that he saw their vehicle had Arizona license plates and that someone from Arizona was placing inappropriate photos on his phone. The student said they felt the man was confronting them and accusing them of falsehoods, and that they and their friend were able to quickly leave the parking lot. They said they were scared about how confrontational the man was and reported the suspicious interaction. The BYU Dispatch Center searched BYU surveillance footage and found relevant recordings, advised the responding officer, and provided the name of the registered owner of the truck. The owner of the truck has had many prior involvements with the police and has a BYU ban letter. Further surveillance video shows the suspect had trespassed onto the BYU campus at least four times previously. An officer contacted the suspect and issued them a citation for five counts of trespassing.

Welfare Check
An officer was dispatched for a suicidal individual in Heritage Halls. Officers responded and determined that the individual would need to be involuntarily committed to Utah Valley Hospital for a mental health evaluation. The individual complied and was transported to the hospital without incident. The BYU Police Victim Advocate will follow up on this case.

Welfare Check
The BYU Dispatch Center notified officers that a mental health crisis line had contacted Central Dispatch stating that a 49-year-old non-student called them saying they were in Orem at a bus stop near a bridge and BYU campus and planned to throw themselves off the bridge. BYU officers called and texted the individual’s phone offering to help, but they did not respond. BYU officers walked and patrolled through the areas of the raised walkways on campus and spoke with nearby individuals but did not locate them. The BYU Dispatch Center pinged the location of the individual’s phone. The first ping showed the phone was in Orem. Later, a second ping showed the phone was in Provo, but not on campus. The Provo Police Department took responsibility for continuing the case and BYU officers discontinued their investigation.

Citizen Contact
A BYU officer observed someone camping at the Y-Trailhead. An individual was sleeping in a sleeping bag on a mat in front of their vehicle parked in a stall. Another individual was sleeping inside the vehicle. The officer contacted the individual inside the vehicle and advised them of the policy of no camping on BYU property.

Information
An officer was dispatched to call a complainant about a post on Reddit that was against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The officer deemed that the post was not a specific threat to anyone. The post had been taken down and was documented in this report.

DUI
An officer observed several people drinking alcohol in front of their vehicle at the Y-Trailhead through video surveillance. One individual got into the vehicle with an open container of alcohol. The officer contacted the individuals and found that one of them was under 21. The driver performed field sobriety tests which indicated they were too impaired to drive. The driver admitted to providing the minor with alcohol. The officer cited the minor for illegally consuming alcohol. The officer arrested the driver for DUI, drinking alcohol within a Vehicle, and knowingly furnishing alcohol to a minor. The officer impounded the vehicle and transported the driver to Utah County Jail, and the case was referred to both the Provo City Attorney's Office and the Utah County Attorney's Office for review of charges.

Trespassing
An officer responded to the Marriott Center on a report that BYU Event Security had an individual detained in their office for using a fraudulent access pass to get into the stadium. The individual stated that they and another friend accessed the stadium with these passes. The officer met with both individuals and cited them for criminal trespass, and the case was referred to the Provo City Attorney's Office for review and referral of charges.

Welfare Check
An officer responded to Heritage Halls on a student with suicidal ideations. The student was speaking with a CAPS counselor upon the officer’s arrival and a safety plan had already been established. The student did not need any further assistance from officers. The administrative notification was made.

Information
BYU Police officers responded to the Harold B. Lee Library on an individual banned from campus was in the library. The BYU Dispatch Center stated that library BYU Security personnel were watching the individual on surveillance cameras. When BYU police officers arrived, BYU security officers said they had been advised by their logs and notes that the individual was banned from campus for their involvement in a previous incident where racial and derogatory statements were made. The Dispatch Center could not confirm that the individual had received a BYU ban letter and the individual’s prior involvements with law enforcement consisted of incidents off-campus. BYU security officers stated they had been told their sergeant was working on obtaining a BYU ban letter. After consulting their log and notes further, they realized the individual may have been a victim in the incident where racial and derogatory statements were made. No law enforcement records existed with the name and information given.

Theft
An officer took a phone call from an employee who wanted to report the theft of their jacket. The complainant reported they had taken their jacket off while working outside of the Museum of Art. When they returned to where they had set it down, the jacket was gone. The complainant provided a time range of when the theft could have taken place. The officer provided the complainant with a case number for the incident.

Agency Assist
An officer responded to an agency assist for the Orem Police Department. Orem Police asked BYU Police to check the Y-Trailhead for a black colored Toyota truck. The Dispatch Center stated that Orem Dispatch did not list a complainant, but the subject had been listed as suicidal in this and prior incidents. Orem was also looking for the individual as they may have violated a protective order. Officers responded to the Y-Trailhead and confirmed that neither the vehicle nor the individual was at the Trailhead.

Welfare Check
The BYU Security Department was advised of an individual in the restroom on the third floor of the WSC who was painting statements on their body about being against sexual assault and genocide. The complainant was concerned about the welfare of the individual and wanted someone to check on them. Several officers and security personnel checked the WSC for the individual, found a small about of paint in a sink, but the individual was no longer there, and was not located.

Criminal Mischief
An officer took a graffiti report. The complainant, who works for BYU Grounds, reported graffiti on two rocks near the gate leading to the Y-trailhead parking lot. The graffiti is gang-related markings. Surveillance cameras show the time the graffiti was placed on the rock. There is one suspect whose vehicle’s details have been collected but the license plate could not be read. The suspect is unknown, so the case is referred to the detective division.

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