Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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g Wednesday Volume LXX.No. Q"7 University of South Carolina, Columbia,S.C. July 2, 19BO n_t? roiu i icr uov ?* *0-^ J- Am duel By Stephen RkJdeti Editor in Chief Three university employees have been arrested after a breakin at a USC-owned apartment in which at least $10,000 worth of goods were stolen. James B. Meetze, Leroy L. McElveen and Thomas J. Chartette have been charged with housebreaking and grand larceny. All three are employees of Auxiliary Services at USC and all have been suspended indefinitely without pay until the charges are resolved. JOHN K. HCXJGLE was living in the apartment at 816 Henderson St. while he waited to see where the university assigned him as a Residence Hall Director for the fall semester. Hoggle said he and his fiancc moved in many of their belongings on May 18 and 19. The couplc locked the apartment and ther ? ? m tix-poiicemai Sec Bv StaDhen Ridded Editor in Chltf I I A former USC campus policem* criticism of campus police publ special report to the president c security are "merely the tip iceberg." Wm. Michael Ross, a USC policeman a little more than two says the campus police departr dire need of a major overhaul. R< ! letter to the Gamecock after h< stories on the campus security i was released June 16. Ross said he had talked to p were still working in the depar that the situation had not chang* Iien me iorce iwo years agu. THE FIRST COMMANDMEI department is to keep a low \ cording to Hoss. He said campus paranoid about doing anything be considered aggressive police v Ross said the department i condition. He said officers and often sleep in their cars durinj night-8 a.m. shift. There are some good peoj I "P an ^ wor 1 % rrooc checked with Residential Life Services to be sure there were no keys in circulation that would open their apartment. The couple left on May 19 and went to Bristol, Tenn. where they were married on May 24. After a brief honeymoon in Williamsburg, Va., the couple returned to Bristol and filled up two carloads of wedding gifts to bring back to USC. They returned to Columbia on Saturday, May 31 and found their apartment ransacked. "I came up the back steps and unlocked the back door," Hoggle said. "I walked in and saw that a i box of china had been stolen and that about 10 other boxes of our stuff had been gone through. Then I walked into the living room and I saw that the TV was gone. I went to the front door and saw that it was ; unlocked and the latch was un; done. The front doors to the ; complex were still locked." i Hoggle said there was no one n claims in leti urity re department, Ross said. " dedicated officers trying tc in says the a difficult situation, he add 'shed in a Campus Police Director n campus ^as ajwayS advocated >s of the force because he do ; campus to be a police stat< ' campus care comment on s years ago, ^legations made by Ross, nent is in >ss wrote a The text of Ross' letter f 5 read the ..The June 18th edition eport that came t0 my attention yest with great interest that eople who Udell's article on the cai tment and a campus policeman fc id since he working my way through two degrees in Criminal attended the SC. Ci MT of the Academy, and went on jrofile, ac- Kington County Sheriff i police are returned to the university that might ^fore leaving law enfor< /ork. t0 work for a television is in poor that background that 1 patrolmen mentioned in the article a g the mid- of the "iceberg." The cai dire need of a major ovt >le in the that this opportunity is noi est j >cry else living in the complex this summer. He said he called both campus security and President Holderman that night. "The police t came and said that there was no forcable' entry and the next ' morning they came over to take finger prints," Hoggle said. UNIVERSITY LEGAL COUNSEL Paul Ward called on Tuno O Hnoolo cuirl "WP asltprl "* ?? * him about reimbursement for our property and he said the school had no insurance," Hoggle said. "He said that he would get back in touch with us and that we would have to wait until after the in- 1 vestigator made his report before J we could even begin to talk about ' reimbursement." Hoggle said Ward did not get ' back in touch with him and that 1 when he called Ward's office June 1 25, he was told Ward was out of ' 44 A X il A. i - A r ~ 1 4 U-V.4 town. " ai inai pomi, we leu we imu done all that we could," Hoggle ter port 'tip There are a few it has been just make the best of worked there, but cd- some people who i George Key said changed. The und a low profile for commandment of es not want the keep a low profile a e. Key said he did notice of the adr ?ome of the other students. The neai anything that m aggressive police ollows: from the campus d of the Gamecock and early '70s wher erday, and it was humanities faculty I read Stephen the blue lights were npus police. I was cars during the day >r several years This childish b school (I earned situation that shot Justice at USC), exist in a police d riminal Justice where it is. While I to work with the the report, I doubt I :'s Department. I ?Officers with for a short period that the best they ;ement altogether siowiy lesi mey risi station. It is with ?Officers, lieute [ say the points sleeping in patrol re merely the tips hours of an eight-h( npus police aH? in > ejght in the mornin Thau), and I hope ?Senior shift offj t lost. about basic arres Campus Police Chief Man/ 'erence Thursday, announces o/oyees in connection with a ri -J nnt_ f-ll 1 _ J I said. we ieu we neeueu lega assistance." The Hoggles contacted Raj Ambrose who accepted the cas< and is now acting as their attorney CAMPUS POLICE would give nc information about the in vestigation. The police estimated the value of the stolen mer nhanriisp at bptwppn $5.000-$!0 000 Hoggle said the value of the things that were stolen was about $12,000. Some of the items have been recovered, but campus police would not say what has been found. Police also said they expect to make further arrests. USC President James B. Holderman said there will be a >of ice over two years since I arrests I gather from talking to warrar still do that nothing has ?An erstood, unwritten first probler the department was to be und< ind to do nothing to evoke to back ninistration, faculty or Thel paranoia against doing been it ight be construed as the a work seemed to stem dedicai isruptions of the late '60s of a dif i a backlash from certain people, r got to the point where policer i even taken off the police into me I ha ehavior has led to a univen jld never be allowed to efficiei epartment regardless of equipp I have not seen a copy of the p hat if nrti/orc cnnh ac SCadCf medical conditions such The ss can do is stand or walk USC. 'I < a coronary, not co nants and patrol officers, chargc cars for three or four The )ur shift from midnight to depart g, Atiant, icers so unknowledgeable Police >t law that they order part of k ' ' <' " ' S&i ' *'" *> y.? .-. vw ;: I m . in Harrelson, at a press con? the arrests of three (JSC emjbbery. (Photo by Deana Easier) 1 tightening up in the maintenence area, including more supervision. / "We will do the most that we can ? under the state personnel laws to punish these people if they are convicted," he said. "It appears ) they had been systematically - stealing from locked rooms and I there is no place at this university for those type people." Meeize nas oeen working in me maintenence department at the university since 1973. McElveen began working at USC in October 1979 and Charette was hired in May 1980 as part-time summer help. No prosecuter has been assigned to the case from the 5th Circuit Solicitors Office yet and no trial date has been set. berg' for misdemeanor offenses without its or even probable cause, officer with such a severe speech II lllcil WI1CI1 lie gCU) CAt I UTVl lie: vaunui erstood over the radio?his only link up help. ist could go on, but I feel the point has iade. There are some good people in impus police department, a few Led officers, trying to make the best ficult situation. Many others are fine , but were just not cut out to be nen, and a few who have been beaten ?diocrity by the system. i vc luiiic iiuu w mavi wiiii \/iuvi sity police departments, and they are it, competent, well-trained, well ed and well-thought of not only within olice community but within the nic communities in which they serve imn fnn anH chmilii hp (hp pasp at 'he changes will not be easy; they will me without bitter resentment and ?s on both sides, but come they must, eorgia Tech campus police is a good ment; with a campus in downtown a they have to be. The USC Campus can be a good department; being a downtown Columbia they MUST be."