By David Hurtado
A recent missing student case highlighted the way campus police coordinate with the Overland Park Police Department (OPPD) to investigate and solve cases.
Gary Mason, Public Information Officer for the OPPD, said the OPPD provides manpower and additional information when the campus police request it. He also said the campus police mostly needs assistance with vehicle thefts.
“The resources that we provide are mainly additional manpower and information,” Mason said. “Usually if something needs to be followed up, that’s where we would come into play and assist them.”
While campus police do not have as many resources as the OPPD does, the intensity of crime at the college usually does not go higher than the occasional theft. The last violent incident on campus occurred at 12:55 p.m. Oct.6, in the Carlsen Center over a misunderstanding concerning a late assignment.
In that incident, a student shouted obscenities, screamed, and kicked open a door before storming out of the room. He was later escorted to the campus police department by a counselor.
“We are fortunate in that we haven’t had many violent incidents on the campus, the worst we have to worry about is theft,” said Larry Dixon, deputy chief.
The OPPD dealt with a more serious matter than theft in recent weeks. Aisha Khan, a student of the college who was studying at the University of Kansas Edwards Campus was reported missing on Dec.16, 2011, prompting an investigation by the OPPD.
Khan was eventually found nearly a week after she was first reported missing by her family.
Angela Elsayed, a member of the Muslim American Community, said she was worried about Aisha Khan and that she hoped her disappearance was not the result of a forced marriage.
“I think it was weird,” Elsayed said. “First I was worried so much about her. Then when she was found but they would not say anything about where she was or what happened, I hoped that it was not a case of forced marriage and her trying to run away from it.”
Elsayed also said there were still unanswered questions.
“Unless they tell us we will never know,” Elsayed said. “The unfortunate thing is that when they say nothing after pushing so hard to get national attention to find her, most people, especially non-Muslims will look at it as a case of stereotyping gone right.”
Police say the case has been closed and are treating it as a family matter, according to the Daily Mail. Mason said the department treats every missing person case seriously.
“For us it’s like any other case,” Mason said. “Any time someone is missing, we will investigate.”
The administrator of the “Find Aisha Khan” Facebook page was not immediately available for comment.
Campus police have provided security for students and staff at the college since the formation of the Campus Police Department in 2008. They can be reached at 913-469-8500 ext. 4111 for emergency situations.
Contact David Hurtado, reporting correspondent, at dhurtado@stumail.jccc.edu.