At approximately 2:20 am on Sunday, January 25, RPI’s Department of Public Safety received a call from students in Hall Hall who heard the sound of glass breaking and saw a suspicious individual outside. About ten minutes later, 35 year old Frank Mayben of Troy’s 9th Street was apprehended and placed under arrest.
According to Lieutenant Joseph Audino of Public Safety, the students who reported the suspicious activity did a “tremendous job,” as they not only reported hearing the sounds of glass breaking immediately, but gave a very detailed description of a man they described as standing on a garbage can right outside of the building.
Lieutenant Audino said that within a minute after the call was made, two cars were sent out to form a perimeter around the area, one officer went to interview the students, and Audino himself went out to pursue the suspect on foot. As he was standing on the wooden stairs between Freshman Hill and the Public Safety building, he noticed what he thought was a running person and he quickly followed in pursuit. Audino was assisted by Sergeant Brian Amphlett.
After Mayben was handcuffed and searched he was identified by the students as the individual they had seen and reported. Lieutenant Audino and Officer William Biggs processed Mayben and then transported him to Troy Police Department where he was charged with second degree attempted burglary, a Class D felony, as well as three misdemeanors: criminal mischief, possession of burglar’s tools, and trespassing.
He was initially held in the Rensselaer County Jail and later plead to a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief. He will be sentenced to one year in jail, and in addition, will have to make restitution in order to repair the window and stay away from the RPI campus in accordance with a soon to be issued Order of Protection.
While Mayben was apprehended unarmed, a backpack was discovered nearby the scene of the crime containing a hammer that is believed to have belonged to Mayben. It is believed that the hammer is what was used to break the window in Hall Hall. Since the crime was basically pre-empted in this case, Mayben’s motive was unknown. Mayben, however, has been a suspect in other burglaries at RPI and several recent burglaries have had a similar method of operation as the attempted break in at Hall Hall, according to Audino.
During Thanksgiving break, there were a total of three burglaries on campus and two occurred during winter break. The items stolen ranged from a cordless phone to a three-piece-suit. One of the methods used in the burglaries was entering through broken windows, and in one case there was a garbage can positioned right underneath the broken window. Investigators are looking into the possibility of a link between some of these burglaries and the attempted burglary on the 25th.
While the number of burglaries aren’t unusual, Audino said “we really don’t feel we have enough resources to pursue investigations aggressively enough … I’d like to have more officers for pre-emptive control.” He pointed out that there are no walls around the campus, and it is relatively easy for someone who does not belong to come on campus. Additionally, Public Safety officers carry “mace and telescopic batons, but not firearms,” and in pursuing criminals who can be dangerous, strength in numbers can be very important.
Audino pointed out that Public Safety has replanned their work schedules so that more staff can be on duty when needed, such as Friday and Saturday nights when call volume can be quite high. Such schedule reworking has sometimes involved officers of over 20 years not having weekends off. According to Audino, this has been done to ensure that campus safety “remains the top priority.” Additionally, Public Safety will soon have four or five new officers.
To further increase the number of officers that can be used for patrolling purposes, Public Safety is looking into some new programs. One idea being considered is having students volunteer to serve as safety escorts. Audino suggested that those who volunteered could work in pairs and have a radio to Public Safety in case anything happens. A program similar to Neighborhood Watch is also being planned.
Lieutenant Audino emphasized that students, faculty, and staff are “the eyes and ears” of Public Safety and therefore need to be aware of what goes on for everyone’s safety. He used the example of the card access system for the residence halls and saying that when people hold the door open for others, there has to be a difference between “friendliness and common sense.” He also said that in the event that suspicious activity is spotted, people should not take it upon themselves to act, but should report it to Public Safety immediately at 276-6611.
