Theft, vandalism incidents sprout
Nicole Smith
Issue date: 9/11/08 Section: News
Rod Gilliam-Wheeler is no stranger to vandalism on campus. He and a friend discovered their cars had been plastered with graffiti last semester, and this semester, the junior theater major found his car again had undergone damage - $400 worth.
"Thank God I was parked near (a camera) or I would have never known who did it," he said about the surveillance cameras in the Courtyard parking lot, which helped catch the person who had damaged his car.
Gilliam-Wheeler's case is just one of the recent incidents of theft and vandalism on campus since the semester began. According to police reports, another four cars have been vandalized, and two textbooks, two sets of golf clubs and a mountain bike have been reported stolen.
It's not new to Chief Zebedis.
"Theft is going to happen anywhere," he said.
Sophomore psychology major Kaley Viola had said she'd never heard of incidents like these before on campus. Viola had parked her car in the south Coliseum lot before leaving for an away volleyball game. Later she noticed the right side of her windshield had been broken.
But she still said she thinks the campus is safe.
"I don't think there is much more that the campus police can do than what they already do," she said.
Freshman mass communication pre-major Brittany Penny had her golf clubs stolen from her car while parked in the Johnson lot and agreed that campus police is doing all they can do.
"I don't think they could have prevented this from happening," she said. "I have seen all different parts of the country, and to be quite honest, Rock Hill seems to be one of the safest places that I have been to."
Viola and Gilliam-Wheeler suggested putting more cameras in the parking lots around campus.
"At least the police will know who did it," Viola said. "It may not prevent the incidents from occurring, but the cost of something like that is probably not in the school's budget. It could be something to consider."
"Thank God I was parked near (a camera) or I would have never known who did it," he said about the surveillance cameras in the Courtyard parking lot, which helped catch the person who had damaged his car.
Gilliam-Wheeler's case is just one of the recent incidents of theft and vandalism on campus since the semester began. According to police reports, another four cars have been vandalized, and two textbooks, two sets of golf clubs and a mountain bike have been reported stolen.
It's not new to Chief Zebedis.
"Theft is going to happen anywhere," he said.
Sophomore psychology major Kaley Viola had said she'd never heard of incidents like these before on campus. Viola had parked her car in the south Coliseum lot before leaving for an away volleyball game. Later she noticed the right side of her windshield had been broken.
But she still said she thinks the campus is safe.
"I don't think there is much more that the campus police can do than what they already do," she said.
Freshman mass communication pre-major Brittany Penny had her golf clubs stolen from her car while parked in the Johnson lot and agreed that campus police is doing all they can do.
"I don't think they could have prevented this from happening," she said. "I have seen all different parts of the country, and to be quite honest, Rock Hill seems to be one of the safest places that I have been to."
Viola and Gilliam-Wheeler suggested putting more cameras in the parking lots around campus.
"At least the police will know who did it," Viola said. "It may not prevent the incidents from occurring, but the cost of something like that is probably not in the school's budget. It could be something to consider."
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