Dear Students:

As our fall semester nears its close, we are writing to share important safety information after two unrelated early December incidents in Brown’s residence halls required a response from Public Safety and, given the circumstances, understandably caused some unease. In both incidents, individuals unlawfully entered residence hall rooms. While active investigations remain underway, I write today with updates on the incidents; actions we are taking to reinforce the ways in which staff from multiple departments work to protect student safety; and key reminders and best practices for maintaining safety in residential settings.

There are important steps that both the University and students can take to be vigilant in protecting members of our community and their personal property.

Recent Incidents

The first incident took place on Sunday, Dec. 4, when DPS apprehended an individual who is not a Brown community member and who was occupying space in Wayland House unlawfully. The suspect, Thony Greene, was arrested, questioned, transported to Providence Police and charged with breaking and entering, and willful trespass. He was arraigned and remains in custody, pending next steps in the criminal justice process. These initial actions marked the beginning of what is now a deeper investigation focused on how long he may have been present in the building and how he entered. We now await the opportunity to conduct a follow-up interview with Mr. Greene, who has a long record of arrests in multiple Rhode Island communities, and previous citations and arrests by Brown DPS, for theft and trespassing in particular. We may seek additional charges as our investigation continues.

Four days later, DPS responded to a report of a burglary in Jameson House in which a student’s wallet, Brown ID card and Apple AirPods were stolen from their residence hall room. DPS conducted a preliminary investigation, issued a Crime Alert describing a person of interest and launched a more complete investigation in cooperation with local law enforcement. On Monday, Dec. 12, we identified and arrested a suspect in the case. That individual, for whom we will not disclose identifying information pending formal charges, is now in custody awaiting next steps in the criminal justice process.

We may be able to report additional details as investigations into these incidents continue.

Brown's Actions to Protect Safety

Protecting the safety of community members on any college campus, but particularly in environments like ours in which University buildings are immediately adjacent to public streets and sidewalks, is a shared endeavor that relies on partnership between students, staff, faculty and community members. In the incidents above, we are particularly grateful to the students who acted quickly to call attention to the circumstances in their buildings, which proved instrumental in our ability to identify and apprehend suspects in both cases.

University staff have an important ongoing role to play in residential safety as well, and particularly those from DPS, Residential Life and Facilities Management. As one example, Brown employs four full-time facilities operations coordinators in the Office of Residential Life — these staff members are in residence halls daily, supporting the needs of students and residence hall staff, and serving as a liaison between Residential Life and Facilities Management. In addition, staff from DPS and Facilities Management have a regular presence near or in residential buildings as part of their ongoing responsibilities. Working together, we can all play a role in calling attention to issues that need to be addressed, including from a safety standpoint.

In response to this month’s incidents, staff from these critical departments are taking a number of additional steps, including the following:

• Brown DPS has adjusted the approach to where it deploys security staff on campus to provide greater visibility around residence halls and to respond strategically to issues of concern.
• Beginning this week, security staff in exterior campus locations will be equipped with lighted vests. This follows the recent introduction of non-flashing light beacons on DPS patrol cars. Both actions are designed to provide significantly more visibility for the presence of safety officers, while serving also as a deterrent for individuals looking to engage in unlawful behavior.
• DPS officers and contracted security staff are performing additional exterior building checks to identify any doors that have been propped open, or locks that have been disabled. Facilities Management staff will begin doing the same during routine operations in residence halls.
• During the final week of classes and Reading Period, community coordinators in residence halls conducted routine community walks in each building, engaging with students, maintaining a regular presence and raising any issues of concern. Upcoming training in January for community coordinators, before the spring semester begins, will include additional focus on and instruction for walk-throughs.
• Brown is also focused on providing on-campus students with more visible reminders of essential safety information through a combination of additional signage, memos from Residential Life, and guidance from staff in residence halls.

In addition, we have engaged in preliminary discussions about the potential for new measures to strengthen safety on campus. Areas of focus include approaches to providing information about incidents on campus; suspect descriptions and safety tips; the possibility of additional safety checks conducted by staff who are in residence halls; and improved ways to make Brown staff and contractors easy to identity visually when they are working in residence halls (distinguishing them from unauthorized individuals).

Safety Measures for Students

As we all work together to protect safety, there are a number of steps that students can take to protect themselves and their property. Given the recent incidents, it’s particularly important to offer reminders on the best measures to take in residential settings, which include:

• Do not prop open doors or alter self-locking entry points with tape or any other workaround. While this is often done for convenience, particularly during residence hall move-in and move-out periods, it’s a way in which someone without authorization can access the building. If you see a door propped open, please close it. Remove tape from door locks.
• As you enter residence halls controlled by card access, do not allow others to “tailgate” into the building unless you know that they are a resident of the building, and remain vigilant to those who try to follow along without a separate swipe of their own Brown ID card. This is the most common way that individuals unauthorized to be in a building gain access, particularly as they seek to blend in with residents who do live in the building.
• In your own room and/or suite, always close and lock your door, even if you leave for just a minute, and insist that your roommates do the same.
• If you’re unsure of whether an individual has authorization to be in a residence hall, please know that it is acceptable to ask about their role and purpose — and it’s equally acceptable to contact DPS or Residential Life if you encounter a suspicious circumstance. Brown instructs staff in residence halls to be ready to respond and share their name, department and ID information with students who might be uncertain about whether they have permission to be in the building. Staff from Residential Life and Facilities Management who are working in residence halls should be clearly identifiable by name badges, uniforms and/or Brown ID cards.
• If you encounter something that raises a concern, do not hesitate to seek assistance from Brown DPS. Report suspicious behavior, even when you are not directly threatened. And if you feel unsafe in any situation, trust your instincts and call Brown DPS at 401-863-3322.

As chief of police and vice president for campus safety at Brown, I take the safety and security of our campus and our students very seriously — I know my colleagues in Public Safety, Residential Life, Facilities Management and so many other departments do as well. We appreciate your assistance and cooperation as we work through the specific incidents we’ve witnessed this month and continue our efforts to make Brown a safe place to be in community with one another.

Sincerely,

Rodney Chatman
Vice President for Campus Safety