Olin Library (Grace Bruton | Student Life)

Last Friday, Sept. 18, Washington University Police Department (WUPD) escorted a trespassing individual out of Olin Library. The individual was not affiliated with WashU and had previously been issued a warning for trespassing by WUPD.

WUPD’s Chief of Police Angela Coonce wrote in an email to Student Life that the incident was handled smoothly and without any issues.  

“Officers took the individual into custody without incident, issued a summons and escorted them from campus,” Coonce wrote.

This follows previous incidents in Olin Library with non-WashU-affiliated individuals, such as multiple instances of bathroom privacy violations earlier this year. 

In the face of these disruptions, sophomore Mirabel Malcolm expressed that she feels confident in WUPD’s ability to manage safety on campus. 

“I feel very safe on campus, and I feel like WUPD is very accessible to me,” Malcolm said. “A lot of the student body is trained in medical care and Stop the Bleed and [Basic Life Support], so I feel very physically safe and medically safe on campus.”

She added that while Olin feels more like a public space, she feels an additional sense of safety and security in residential spaces such as the South 40.

Coonce emphasized WUPD’s mission to create and maintain a safe campus for WashU community members.

“WashU PD’s number one priority is the safety and well-being of our campus community. We take situations like this seriously and remain committed to maintaining a safe environment for everyone at WashU,” Coonce wrote.

Tanvi Gorre contributed to the reporting of this article