The following accounts were provided by Investigator Mark Silverio of Binghamton’s New York State University Police.
Basket case
MONDAY, Nov. 4, 6:19 p.m. — Officers responded to Johnson Hall of Dickinson Community after receiving a theft complaint. They spoke to the victim, a 19-year-old male, who reported he put his clothes in the washer at about 3 p.m. and placed his laundry basket on top of the washing machine. He returned about an hour later, moved his clothes into the dryer and placed his laundry basket on top of the dryer before starting the drying cycle. When he returned to remove his clothes from the dryer, he found half of his clothes on the floor and his laundry basket missing. He went through his belongings and found that nothing was missing aside from his basket. Officers helped him look around the immediate area, but came up empty-handed. After examining camera footage from the area, officers were unable to identify the culprit. The victim does not wish to take legal action, but does want his laundry basket returned to him.
Suspicious soliciting
TUESDAY, Nov. 5, 9:10 p.m. — Officers responded to Old Digman Hall of Old Dickinson Community for a report of a suspicious person, a tall man wearing a business suit with a clipboard and backpack. The man was traveling throughout the dormitory hall to persuade students to move into off-campus housing. Officers searched Old Digman Hall and were unable to locate the man, but UPD’s dispatch center was observing campus camera footage and found the man in Mohawk Hall of College-in-the-Woods. Officers responded to Mohawk Hall and talked to the person, a 25-year-old male who works for an off-campus housing agency. The man told officers that he comes onto campus and travels from door to door, passing out flyers and advertising to any students who may be interested in off-campus housing. The man was advised that he was trespassing since he did not have permission to be in any of the living communities, and officers informed him that Binghamton University has a policy against soliciting on campus. He apologized for the misunderstanding and left campus without incident.
To be or not to be
THURSDAY, Nov. 7, 3:17 p.m. — Officers responded to the English department in Glenn G. Bartle Library after receiving complaints about a 71-year-old male who was profusely emailing two faculty members in a series of “manic and incoherent emails.” The situation began on Oct. 17 and continued until Nov. 7, when the male appeared in the English department with packages for the two faculty members. Neither of the faculty members were present at the time, so the secretary accepted the packages for them. When they were notified of his appearance, the faculty members contacted UPD. They told officers that the man had been emailing them upward of 16 times a day about wanting to sit in their classes. After they told him that he could not do so, the man delivered books to them. Officers made contact with the man, a Binghamton resident, and advised him to stop contacting the professors. Despite officers’ advice, the man immediately emailed the professors asking why they would contact authorities. The case is ongoing.
Cash cab
FRIDAY, Nov. 8, 1:54 a.m. — Officers responded to a verbal dispute outside of Bingham Hall of Newing College. Upon arrival, officers spoke to two males, a 18-year-old student and a 51-year-old cab driver. When asked what happened, the student told officers that after riding home the cab driver asked for his fare, which the student said he already paid via Venmo. The cab driver retorted that he did not receive any such payment, which led to a verbal dispute that culminated in the student pushing the cab driver. Officers arrived and separated the two parties and the student took out his phone to show that he had in fact paid the driver. However, when he went to his Venmo, he saw that there was an error that resulted in his payment not being processed. Upon seeing that he was in the wrong, the student apologized to the driver and completed the purchase, resolving the dispute. The taxi driver declined to press charges. Neither party was injured in the argument.