After a Hopkins student reported suspicious activity on a rowhouse roof, Hopkins Security and Baltimore Police responded and aprehended a wanted burglar.
Senior Christina Warner, who is Editor-in-Chief of The News-Letter, was participating in her second "Citizen on Patrol" walk with Hopkins Security on Tuesday night when she noticed a figure on the roof of a 3000 block Guilford Avenue house.
"I was looking up on the roofs because I remembered what I had heard on my first walk about how burglars break into homes," Warner said.
According to Baltimore Police and Hopkins Security the suspect was Glenn Davis, 46. He was arrested for trespassing, but a warrant for his arrest had been issued at an earlier date for burglary.
"I think the response by Baltimore City was fantiastic," Edmund Skrodzki, Executive Director of Hopkins Safety and Security, said.
"They responded very quickly and efficiently and the suspect was apprehended quickly. We'll probably see a drop in burglaries because of this arrest."
Many community members feel that Warner's good instincts reinforce the broader goal of the community walks.
"It does a world of good in several ways. First of all just having a group of people out on the street in a visible way is in itself a deterrent to crime," Dennis O'Shea, University spokesperson, said.
"Word of this incident has been going around Charles Village and I think residents are very grateful that it occurred and it occurred in the context of a Hopkins Security initiative."
Students on the walk with Warner felt heartened by the results they were witnessing firsthand.
"It was good to see what a positive impact these patrol walks can [have] on the neighborhood," Mike Musary, senior, said. "I recommend going on one of these patrol walks if you're a JHU student."
The excitement of Tuesday's walk gave it extra impact, but multiple participants noted the educational value with or without a dramatic arrest.
"It was really insightful and enlightening . . . I got to press a button [on a blue light] which sounded an alarm. Christina Warner also caught a cat burglar on top of a roof . . . and it seemed like something out of Hollywood, but it was actually just a regular day on the streets of Baltimore," sophomore Caitlin Hoff said.
As outlined by Hopkins Security, the walks aim to accomplish three main goals. First, the walking groups establish a physical presence in Charles Village that can act as a deterent for criminals.
Second, the walks work to educate students and community members about vulnerable aspects of the urban environment, including personal and property safety.
Third, the walks encourage University/community engagement by providing an opportunity for the University community and local neighbors to interact. Additionally, all participants meet off-duty Baltimore police, campus police officers and Allied Barton personnel.
"Christina is an excellent observer. She took the walk seriously. She was on the walk six months prior and the training she received during that walk assisted in observing [the burglar] on the roof," Skrodzki said.
"This basically substantiates the effectiveness of Neighborhood Walkers on Patrol. We can make a difference and we are making a difference for the overall security of the Charles Village area."
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