Two men were arrested and booked into jail on separate occasions earlier this month after police officers found them sleeping on-campus after hours.
This is the first time a homeless person has been arrested on-campus this year. Prior instances when police officers found homeless people on-campus late at night only involved citations for trespassing.
One arrest was made Aug. 20 after police were tipped off that a man was sleeping at a TRAX station on South Campus Drive.
When police officers arrived, they found a man, whom they identified as Douglas Nay, lying in the middle of the platform, according to a police report.
Nay woke up and told officers that he was homeless and that he was trying to catch a train to go downtown. After checking with dispatch, police found that Nay had three arrest warrants totaling more than $6,255. Nay was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on warrant service.
Another arrest was made Aug. 1 after someone camping near the outside football practice field told police officers a man was sleeping near the tennis center.
Officers woke the man, who was tucked under a sheet behind a dumpster, and asked him for identification. The man said someone beat him up and stole his wallet, according to a police report.
The man then told police officers that his name was Edward Healy. After checking back with dispatch, police officers arrested Healy for two outstanding warrants.
The warrants — one for never obtaining a license, another for intoxication — were issued by the Salt Lake City Justice Court and totaled $1,750.
Healy was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail.
Capt. Lynn Mitchell from the U Police Department said homeless individuals frequent the U because most of the campus buildings are open and equipped with bathrooms and furniture to sleep on.
“The U is a place were they can come in and get warm,” Mitchell said. “It’s also a place where they can pick up things to pawn.”
Mitchell said several men who have been previously cited for staying on-campus after hours have been linked to theft cases, including some that involved stolen laptops.
Mitchell said U police are working with a legal council to decrease homeless activity on campus. In the meantime, he encourages students, faculty and staff who spot suspicious activity around campus to call dispatch at 585-2677.