Vandalism and Hit and Runs on Campus

By Samantha Payne
Rotunda ReporterSince the moment a teenager lays their eyes on their first vehicle, a sense of protectiveness usually comes over them. So what happens when they come to college and become a victim of vandalism or a hit and run? Longwood University's Police Department and Parking Services have tried to develop an efficient parking system on campus, to try and avoid as many vehicular conflicts as possible. However, when an act of vandalism or a hit and run occur, there are certain steps the Police Department recommends for a student to follow. Whether or not the student chooses to follow those steps, is up to them.

Chief of Police Bob Beach said a student who is victimized should immediately call the Police Department at 2091. "The key is to report it. Be a good observer and write down what you see, so that you can accurately and adequately report what's happened," said Beach. Investigator John Thompson advised students not to move their vehicle. "Once you find that there is something that has been done to your vehicle, don't move it. Leave it sitting where it is, because the car beside you might have done it. Call the police, and we'll come up and take pictures. We might be able to determine that a car next to you has done it. But students won't do this sometimes. They'll go home and then come back and report it," said Thompson.

One student who did just that was senior Paul Eldert. He had left his car parked in the Venable Parking Lot on a Saturday night. When he came back to his vehicle the next day, he noticed a dent in the passenger side of the vehicle. "After muttering a few obscenities, upon inspection I noticed white paint in the dent, and that the vehicle smashed out my turn light as well. Because it wasn't until late in the afternoon when I saw the damage done to my car, I didn't go to campus police that night. I waited until first thing Monday morning to file a report with campus police," said Eldert.

When he went to file a report to the campus police, they came to the scene of the crime and took pictures of his vehicle. Eighteen months have passed, and Eldert still has no idea who hit his car. "Unless they post cameras around the parking lots, they are not going to find out who did any vandalism. Hit and runs in parking lots is basically an honor code. If someone hits you, you have to hope that either that person or a witness saw it and would leave you a note on the information of the other vehicle. Bad drivers are bad drivers. For my sake, I hope the other person had a nicer car than me and it shows up just as noticeable," said Eldert.

Another student who chose not to report her hit and run experience, was junior Katie McWilliam. McWilliam was parked in the parallel parking spots between the Arc and Stubbs dormitories. When she came back to her car, it was dark outside and she did not notice any damage to her vehicle. The next morning when she approached her car, she noticed a big dent on the top of her hood. Her "H" symbol on her Honda had also been knocked off. "My parents told me I should go to the police to file a report, but I did not do it because I was only interested in getting my car fixed. I did not know if filing a report would do anything. If I could go back in time, I would probably report it. I guess the more that people report these hit and runs, the bigger the pile of car accident reports there will be, and maybe that would do something," said McWilliam.

Junior Kristen Gaines also chose not to report a hit and run. "I drove to school and parked in the Cox lot the first day back from winter break. When class was over I walked to Cox, got in the car and drove home. When I got there, I realized I had been hit. I had a huge scuff mark, plus some scratches that took off my paint on the back left hand side of my car. I was so frustrated because nobody left a note. It was a brand new car I only had for a couple weeks with no scratches on it," said Gaines. Gaines decided not to report the incident because she had already moved her car from the lot, and because she did not think the police would be able to track down who hit her.

In regards to vandalism, Investigator Thompson believes students should not give a perpetrator the opportunity to vandalize a vehicle. "When you park your car, make sure your vehicle is locked up. Never leave things out in the open. Put them in the trunk and hide them. If they don't see them, then it doesn't give the person the opportunity to try to get them," said Thompson. Even if a person chooses to report their hit and run or vandalism incident, they might not find out who committed the crime. However, the Police Department believes that it is always better to report it, in order to have a better chance of finding the person who committed the crime.