Eastern Michigan University published a press release documenting the collective work of the EMU police department towards the ongoing investigations into the incidents of racist vandalism that occurred on its campus, Jan. 9.
The initial incident of racist vandalism, found on King Hall, was reported on Sep. 20. Following the first incident, two additional incidents occurred inside Hoyt and Wise Residence Halls. The most recent incident of racist vandalism was found on the exterior wall of Ford Hall, Oct. 30.
“You can’t everyday say here is an update, and there are no new suspects, so this was a way to aggregate details and aspects that indicate the effort and commitment put towards these investigations,” said Geoffrey Larcom, EMU Executive Director of Media.
The EMU Police Department has committed more than 610 hours into the investigations, and the hours have been dedicated to identifying the criminal or criminals responsible for the incidents, according to the press release issued by Walter Kraft, EMU Vice President of Communications and Public Relations.
“It’s appropriate to demonstrate to the campus and to any concerned people just how much effort police have put into this investigation,” said Larcom.
According to the press release, police efforts have included:
the execution of seven search warrants; 40 people have been interviewed; More than 900 hours of video from more than 75 campus cameras has been reviewed; Nearby businesses have been checked for video from their surveillance cameras; Four officers have worked steadily checking leads through search engines and social media; Wireless access logs for several buildings have been reviewed; Entry card swipe logs for several buildings have been reviewed; and ongoing consultation is underway with the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“I believe administration has been making extensive efforts parallel to that of the department of public safety,” said Larcom. "The efforts of the EMU Department of public safety are a reflection of President James Smith and the administration's commitment.”
In addition to police efforts EMU executive team has made steps towards implementing the Black Student 10 Point Plan.
Daily EMU police are responsible for patrolling and assisting students, faculty and staff on campus and surrounding Ypsilanti areas. The efforts of EMU police into these investigations is an addition to their day-to-day work.
The $10,000 reward is still in place to continue assisting with informative leads in the investigation, and the newly appointed President’s Commission on Diversity and Inclusion will soon begin its planning efforts.
