Campus Watch
To All Wayne State University Students, Staff and Faculty:
In This Issue:
- September 2009 Crime Stats
- September 2009 Campus Crime Summary
- Most Lethal Driving Mistakes
- September 2009 Arrest Summary
1. September 2009 Crime Stats:
| - Crimes Reported on the Wayne State University Campus - | |||
| August 2009 | Jan-Aug 2009 | Jan-Aug 2008 | |
| Homicide | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forcible Sex Offence | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Non-Forcible Sex Offence | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery | 2 | 10 | 15 |
| Aggravated Assault | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Burglary | 4 | 31 | 44 |
| Larceny | 43 | 188 | 257 |
| Vehicle Theft | 14 | 47 | 162 |
| Arson | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2. September 2009 Campus Crime Summary:
FORCIBLE SEX OFFENSE:
On September 15, 2009, A WSU female student reported she was the victim of a sexual assault while she was in her Towers Residence Hall room during the early morning hours of Saturday, September 12th, 2009.
The 18 year old female WSU student states that on 9-12-09, she was at a party at a local fraternity house and became intoxicated. Her female roommate picked her up at approximately 1:00am and drove her home to the Towers Residence Halls. There, the roommate and the victim met 5 males who were known to the roommate. The five males were subsequently invited up to the student's room.
Some time after entering the students room, the Complainant states that two of the males had non-consensual sex with her in her Residence Hall room. A crime alert was issued on September 18, 2009.
The completed investigation results and arrest warrant requests were submitted to the Wayne County Prosecutors Office for review. The Prosecutors Office refused to issue criminal charges, against the two males students involved, citing insufficient evidence for criminal prosecution.
A subsequent review of the case, by the WSU Administration found that the two male subjects actions in this incident were in violation of WSU policies. Both male students were subsequently expelled from the University.
ROBBERY:
Two incidents of robbery were reported during September 2009. The first incident occurred on September 9th when a 34 year old Michigan State University student states he was walking on the sidewalk in the area of St. Antoine and Canfield at approximately 9:00pm. The victim stated that he was walking southbound on the sidewalk and two unknown subjects were walking northbound approaching him on foot. When they reached the student, one subject produced a black handgun stating, "Gimme what you got!". The student threw his wallet on the ground, but told the subjects there was no money in the wallet. The subject then asked if he had a cellphone. The student threw his cellphone on the ground and immediately ran northbound. One subject picked up the cellphone and both offenders ran eastbound on Canfield. The student was not injured.
The victim flagged down a Detroit Medical Center security officer who then notified WSUPD. Responding Officers searched the area and investigated a total of five male subjects. Three did not fit the final physical description provided by the victim. Two additional subjects were stopped and investigated, but were released at the scene when the victim was driven by them and stated they were not the ones that robbed him.
The second robbery incident occurred on September 13, 2009 in an alley in the vicinity of Cass and Hancock at 12:02am. There, a 20 year old female student stated she was walking southbound in an unknown alley near Cass and Hancock, when an unknown male subject ran up behind her, grabbed her cell phone from her hand, and continued running northbound in the alley. The subject said nothing and the student was not injured. An area search failed to locate anyone matching the very general description.
BURGLARY:
Four (4) incident of burglary were reported on the main campus and one extension center during September 2009.
The first burglary occurred on Sept. 9th when a player reported his athletic shoes were the only things taken in a forcible entry to the Adams Field equipment room.
The second incident, an attempted burglary, was reported on September 22nd, when staff members at the Wayne County Extension Center (7800 W. Outer Drive) reported damaged partitions to the Math and English labs in the building.
The third incident occurred on September 28th at the Ghafari Residence Hall when a female resident reported her black pea coat was taken from her residence hall room. The victim complained that her room mate has left the door their room unattended and door unlocked on multiple occasions.
The last burglary incident occurred on September 28th when WSUPD Officers responded to a report of an in-progress burglary to a vending machine inside Manoogian Hall at 906 W. Warren. On arrival, Officers obtained a description from a witness and subsequently located and arrested the offender two blocks away at W. Forest and the south Lodge service drive.
LARCENY:
A total of 43 larcenies (theft of unattended property) were reported from 27 different campus locations during September. These include a substantial number of bicycles that were reported stolen from various outdoor locations on the main campus.
VEHICLE THEFT:
After a several months long lull, with relatively few vehicles taken, vehicle thefts on and around campus spiked sharply during September with fourteen (14) vehicles reported as being stolen. Six vehicles were reported taken from WSU parking facilities. They include:
| Date | Location | Time Frame | Vehicle |
| Sept. 2nd | Physics Lot | 10:00am - 10:20am | 03 Dodge Stratus |
| Sept. 15th | R/O 259 Mack | 2:00pm - 2:45pm | 06 Ford E-250 Van |
| Sept. 17th | Lot 50 | 11:30am - 7:40pm | 92 Buick 4dr |
| Sept. 22nd | 435 Antoinette | 8:30am - 5:40pm | 90 Buick Park Ave |
| Sept. 23rd | 430 W. Forest | 1:00pm - 11:53pm | 95 Buick 4dr |
| Sept. 28th | Lot 50 | 9:25am - 1:45pm | 95 Buick Century |
Vehicle thefts, reported to WSUPD, from city streets adjoining campus locations include:
| Date | Location | Time Frame | Vehicle |
| Sept. 4th | Farnsworth & Woodward | 6:00pm - 9:00pm | 97 Mercury 4dr |
| Sept. 8th | Hancock W/O Woodward | 2:00pm - 5:00pm | 96 Ford Taurus |
| Sept. 17th | Trumbull N/O Merrick | 9:15am - 10:00am | 88 Chev. Monte Carlo |
| Sept. 18th | Farnsworth & Woodward | 10:00am - 10:30am | 07 Ford E-250 Van |
| Sept. 23rd | Farnsworth W/O John R | 5:30pm - 8:30pm | 03 Chrysler Sebring |
| Sept. 27th | Anthony Wayne N/O Warren | 3:00pm - 7:50pm | 99 Jeep Cherokee |
| Sept. 28th | Ford SD E/O Trumbull | 8:30am - 6:30pm | 01 Dodge Neon |
| Sept. 28th | S/B Lodge SD N/O Warren | 7:30am - 5:07pm | 96 Dodge Caravan |
NOTE: Club Steering Wheel Locks are still available at the WSUPD for $11.00 each. They can be picked up at the Records Section window, 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Limit of two (2) per person. Bring your OneCard ID with you. Payment in the form of cash (exact change) or check (made payable to Wayne State Police). Sorry, we are not equipped for credit, debit or OneCard swipe payments.
3. Most Lethal Driving Mistakes:
From not buckling up to not getting enough shut-eye, here's a rundown of the 10 most common mistakes motorists make.
By Claire Martin of MSN Autos
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that 37,313 people were killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2008. If that isn't a reason to become a better driver, then we don't know what is.
In an ideal world, drivers would execute every road maneuver with precision and ease. Sadly, we do not live in a never-never land, and not everyone walks away from metal-to-metal mayhem. Truth is that drivers are not created equal. Some are too brash, others too conservative. Some are even downright clueless. The common thread is that they can all turn a pleasant day on the motorway into a surreal nightmare in the blink of an eye.
And don't just blame it on "them." Everyone is guilty of making common driving mistakes that can endanger us all. Think about it: We'll bet you can recall with vivid exasperation a whole litany of stupid moves you've made throughout the years — some benign, some not so much.
To help you stay safe behind the wheel, here's a list of 10 driving behaviors to avoid:
1) Swerving
The No. 1 fatal mistake made by drivers is perhaps the most simple: not staying in their own lane — i.e., running off the road or drifting into the adjacent lane. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2007, 15,574 people died in crashes where the driver simply couldn't stay in the lane.
2) Driving While Drowsy
"Driving a vehicle when you are fatigued is as dangerous as driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs," National Transportation Safety Board Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said after a fatal highway accident in 2003 in which a college student who had been awake for the previous 18 hours was driving a carload of fellow students at 5 a.m. According to the NHTSA, in 2007 fatigued driving caused the deaths of 1,404 people, and more traffic fatalities occurred during the hours when most people are accustomed to being asleep (3 a.m. to 6 a.m.) than at any other time of day.
3) Drinking and Driving
Every 40 minutes someone dies in a drunk-driving accident. (In all 50 states, a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or more is considered illegal, but a little-known fact is that you can be charged with driving while impaired even if you're under the legal limit.) Young drivers are particularly prone to drinking and driving: The 21- to 34-year-old set is responsible for well over half of alcohol-infused fatal crashes. Not surprisingly, the decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated is made most often at night and on the weekends. According to the NHTSA, 60 percent of drivers who died after dark in 2007 were legally drunk. Alcohol is also a factor in half of pedestrian traffic deaths — both drivers and pedestrians are the culprits.
4) Overcorrecting
You get panicky when the wheels of your SUV hit the rumble patch on the shoulder of the highway, so you throw the steering wheel in the opposite direction to get the vehicle back on the road. This is a classic example of overcorrecting or oversteering, and it's a particularly perilous maneuver when you're behind the wheel of an SUV driving on the highway at high speeds. Consider it a rollover waiting to happen. More than 4 percent of automobile fatalities a year occur because of drivers overcorrecting.
5) Speeding
Racing, driving faster than the posted speed limit or simply going too fast for road conditions — i.e., speeding — comprises the second highest cause of death in fatal crashes, according to the NHTSA. Once you hit 55 mph, you're in the danger zone: 30 percent of fatalities occur at 55 or above. The worst-case scenarios invariably involve speeding without wearing a seat belt or a motorcycle helmet. Fatality rates for speeding motorcyclists are shockingly high: In 2007, speeding was a factor in 36 percent of motorcycle fatalities. Of those, 41 percent of drivers and more than half of passengers were not wearing helmets (only 20 states and the District of Columbia require helmets).
6) Failure to Yield Right of Way
For Drivers age 70 and above, failing to yield while merging into traffic is the top cause of crashes. In a recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, drivers 80 and older simply fail to see the other vehicle they should be yielding to. Drivers 70 to 79 see the vehicle but misjudge whether they have time to proceed ahead of it. Failure to yield right of way was the fifth leading cause of fatal crashes in 2007.
7) Erratic or Reckless Driving
At its mildest, we're talking about weaving and tailgating; at its most severe, this kind of driving involves steering down the wrong side of the road, exceeding the speed limit by 20 mph or doing more than 80 mph, and worse. Reckless driving can bring fines, jail time — and death. More than 1,850 fatalities in 2007 were the result of erratic or reckless drivers.
8) Running Red Lights
A whopping 75 percent of automobile crashes occur in cities, according to the nonprofit Insurance Research Council. The most common cause of these accidents? Hitting the gas when the light turns red. Of the myriad types of collisions that can result, head-on and side-impact collisions are the most dangerous. NHTSA statistics show that of the 41,059 automobile fatalities in 2007, 54 percent occurred in cars that sustained frontal damage. When you cut it too close while running a light, your front end or another car's front end is impacted. Either way, it's a recipe for a deadly accident.
9) Not Wearing a Seat Belt
Despite the fact that seat belt use is far more prevalent than even a decade ago — not to mention being legally required — 33 percent of people who die in vehicle fatalities failed to buckle up. Without a seat belt, car drivers and passengers put themselves at risk of being ejected from a vehicle, and 76 percent of the time the ejection ends in death.
10) Inattentive Driving
Eating, talking on a cell phone, typing text messages and fumbling with the car stereo all fall under the umbrella of inattentive driving, which was responsible for 4,704 deaths in 2007. Of these bad habits, cell phone use behind the wheel is becoming standard practice, with an estimated 1 million Americans driving and talking on the phone at any given time. With that comes a four-fold increase in the risk of crashing. One example, which caused the NTSB to launch an inquiry, involved an SUV that veered off the left side of the road, jumped the median, flipped and landed on top of a vehicle driving the opposite direction. The driver was trying to negotiate high crosswinds while talking on a handheld phone. Surprisingly, using a hands-free device likely wouldn't have made a difference. "You'd think using a hands-free phone would be less distracting," said Anne McCartt, author of a study published in the British Medical Journal. "But we found that either phone type increased the risk."
4. September 2009 Arrest Summary:
Including some of the offenses listed above, WSUPD Officers made a total of 86 arrests, during September 2009, for a variety of offenses. The arrests are often the end result of the investigation of suspicious persons or circumstances, either called in by members of our on and off campus community or observed by officers while on routine patrol, traffic stops, alarm run responses, rapid arrival to in-progress incidents, or completed crime report investigations by WSUPD investigators. The following arrest incidents, some involving multiple charges, occurred either on campus or in the surrounding area.
| Offense | # |
| Drive w/Suspended License | 1 |
| Traffic Warrants | 13 |
| Carry Concealed Weapon | 2 |
| Violoation Controlled Substances | 3 |
| Misdemeanor Warrants | 22 |
| Breaking & Entering - Auto | 6 |
| Parole Violation | 1 |
| OUIL (Drunk Driving) | 2 |
| Domestic Violence | 2 |
| Malicious Destruction of Property | 1 |
| Disorderly Conduct | 1 |
| Enter Without Owners Permission | 4 |
| Document Fraud | 1 |
| Possession of Stolen Motor Vehicle | 1 |
| Retail Fraud (shoplift) | 4 |
| Parole Absconder | 3 |
| Possession of Narcotics Paraphenlia | 6 |
| Criminal Trespass | 1 |
| Possession of Stolen Property | 1 |
| Malicious Destruction of Vehicle | 5 |
| Possession of Burglar Tools | 1 |
| Larceny From Building | 1 |
| Larceny From Motor Vehicle | 3 |
| Felonious Assault | 1 |
| Violation Knife Ordinance | 2 |
| Felony Warrant | 2 |
| Parole Violation | 1 |
| Fugitive Warrant | 1 |
| Breaking & Entering - Vending Machine | 1 |
As always, we welcome your comments, questions, suggestions or concerns. Send them to us at campuswatch@wayne.edu