Carson Bonner, Campus Carrier news editor
Last week, 11 vehicles belonging to students had their tires slashed in the Morton-Lemley parking lot. These occurrences were reported to Berry police, who were able to find the person responsible several days after the initial report.
The individual responsible for the vandalism was a minor residing on campus who has since been relocated, and had criminal charges filed against them. According to Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Lindsey Taylor, Berry police were able to investigate and discover the identity of the individual in approximately 48 hours.
“I think our police department is sometimes the unsung heroes,” Taylor said. “To think Friday at noon, we had no idea what was happening, and then by the end of the day Saturday, they had apprehended the person, that is a very tight timeline.”
Although the investigation is ongoing, Taylor and Assistant Vice President for Campus Safety and Land Management Gary Will shared the way in which Berry handles instances of vandalism.
According to Will, when there are instances of vandalism, the law enforcement and administrative offices work closely together. If there was a minor instance of vandalism such as to a tree, the student conduct process would take charge, whereas a more major degree of vandalism like slashing a tire would have criminal charges attached.
“Depending on the crime and the significance of the damage, there would be a threshold of what approach we would take,” Will said. “The person could be arrested in some cases but in other instances, we would take it to student affairs so we could look at it from all angles.”
Taylor said that it would be difficult to ensure that vandalism like this did not happen again, but relying on existing resources allows for Berry police to respond quickly to any occurrences.
“I’d love to say we could truly put up ‘the Berry bubble’ and protect us from everything bad, but that’s just not realistic,” Taylor said. “The best thing we can do to prevent it is if you see something, you say something.”
Parents and students alike took to social media to express frustration, anxiety and outrage at the vandalism. YikYak was almost constantly updated with questions, comments and concerns from students.
“I would like to encourage everyone to email everyone important at Berry about this tire slashing,” one post said. “There have been 11 reports in the past three days and as far as I know they have all been women. Who knows if they will stop at tire slashing???”
Parents on Facebook also gave shared thoughts on how the situation should be handled, and also shared contact information for administrators to be reached.
“We can have differing opinions and experiences regarding dorm life, the dining hall, the removal of Victor, but basic safety should be a uniting topic,” a Facebook post said. “Unfortunately, today’s world is not the world of Martha Berry with regard to campus safety. Gate or not, Berry is an open campus. Cameras and enforcement are likely a necessity in 2024.”
Students were shaken by the incidents, and according to sophomore Bree Durham, who had one tire slashed, the experience was shocking and frustrating. Durham at first believed that she had driven over a nail or that something had punctured the tire.
“I got in my car Thursday to go get coffee and we rolled forward and I felt the wheel on the ground,” Durham said. “It was completely flat. I thought it was just a coincidence until I saw the email about the vandalism.”
Durham said that police told her father that at that point, there had been seven other reports, so they were monitoring the situation. Her father had the tire replaced, and Durham hopes that her family will be reimbursed for the cost of the repairs. Durham also hopes that Berry will take firm action to prevent any kind of vandalism in the future.
“Minimum, I’m hoping that there would be more cameras, because that’s like the first line of defense in case something does happen,” Durham said. “I think as a girl on the campus, there are a lot of places that are not well lit, so sometimes I’m just scared. I feel like more cameras being implemented is doable.”
According to Will, Campus Safety has been installing cameras over the last several years and are working to add lighting in areas that have low visibility. Part of these efforts include a night walk at least once a year, where several administrators will walk through campus and note any poorly lit areas, ideally to add or improve existing lighting.
“There are surveillance cameras on campus, and there are cameras in a parking lot,” Will said. “To keep your car safe, lock it, make sure it’s locked. I don’t want to say things never happen, especially after this weekend, but I’d say the parking lots are safe from an overarching level.”
According to Taylor, violating social norms in the parking lot like parking too close to another car may result in retaliation. She said that in the case of vandalism, the best way of handling it is by first taking pictures of any damage, then by calling Berry police. Rome police should not be called, as they do not have jurisdiction on Berry’s campus.
“For the campus community members, whether those be visitors, students, faculty, it’s really just about personal safety,” Will said. “Know where you’re going, be aware of your surroundings. Be familiar with what’s going on around you. That’s what we all need to be doing.”