A trespasser wandered onto campus last week and made his way into Presidents Hall where he asked for money, according to a Public Safety alert.
Newark native Calvin Battle is a panhandler who has come into contact with Public Safety on two occasions prior to this incident, according to Patrick Linfante, assistant vice president for Public Safety and Security.
Linfante said Battle also visited Campus Ministry and the Chapel on Sept. 17, the day he entered Presidents Hall.
According to Linfante, Public Safety received a call that Battle was on campus. Battle was escorted off campus by the South Orange Police Department. Public Safety informed him that he would be arrested if he tried to return to the university.
“I think that the Department of Public Safety did a nice job of spotting someone and stopping them, and inquiring,” South Orange Police Chief James Chelel said.
According to Linfante, SOPD has informed campus security that Battle could be dangerous. Chelel said that the SOPD shared Battle’s criminal record with Public Safety.
“I don’t know about dangerous history, but he’s been arrested in the past,” he said. “There’s no need for any concern up there on campus with him. If he’s up there they’ll just stop him and sign a complaint for trespassing.”
Flyers with Battle’s photo are posted all over campus as well as at the guardhouses at both vehicular campus entrances, Linfante said.
“We have increased our patrols and his photo has been distributed to all Public Safety personnel,” Linfante said.
“It’s a private university so if you’re up there and have no reason for being up there, the University can tell you to leave,” Chelel said. “So he’s been told if he’s up there again he’s called a defiant trespasser and they have the right to sign a complaint against him.”
Linfante said that Public Safety had two experiences with Battle in the past and one occasion was in 2012.
“We are requesting students to contact Public Safety immediately (973-761-9300) if they observe him anywhere on campus. We would also advise all community members to avoid direct contact with him and if asked not to give him any money,” Linfante said.
Mary Marshall can be reached at mary.marshall@student.shu.edu.
