WEEKLY LUPD ACTIVITY SUMMARY
November 1, 2026 – November 8, 2026
Between November 1, 2026, and November 8, 2026, the Lehigh University Police Department handled 147 total calls for service, reflecting an overall stable campus climate characterized primarily by routine administrative and logistical support. Building and residential lockouts represented the single largest service category, comprising 53 calls (over 36% of total weekly volume).
SIGNIFICANT INCIDENTS & CRIMES
Crimes Against Property/Person:
- Benzak House (Criminal Mischief): A second-floor window was broken with a fire extinguisher; officers cleared and secured the interior, and ABM was dispatched to board the window.
- Southside Commons (Property Damage): A student reported a shattered exterior living area window; building management submitted a repair work order.
- Quad Drive / University Drive (Theft): Two students removed a construction sign from the new dorm construction site; the sign was recovered on Hillside Avenue and the matter was referred to the Dean of Students.
- McClintic-Marshall House (Larceny): A theft of food items from a vending machine was reported and remains under active investigation.
- Alumni Memorial Building (Threats): Officers investigated an email threat report; the incident was reviewed and closed.
- Packer Avenue (Assault Assist): A non-Lehigh affiliated male reported an off-campus assault; Bethlehem Police responded and the individual was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital Muhlenberg.
- Taylor Family Fuel & Mini Mart (Off-Campus Shots Fired Assist): Bethlehem Police investigated shots fired off-campus at 309 S. New Street; an emergency campus notification was issued due to geographic proximity.
- Packer Avenue / Vine Street (Unfounded Report Assist): Officers assisted Bethlehem Police regarding a report of shots fired, which was confirmed to be unfounded following witness interviews with two students.
- Bias-Related Incidents: Zero incidents involving bias, hate speech, or discriminatory harassment were reported during this operational period.
Fraud/Drugs/Liquor:
- Medical Amnesty (Carothers House): An 18-year-old student observed heavily intoxicated in public was evaluated by Lehigh University EMS and transported by Bethlehem City EMS to St. Luke's Hospital Bethlehem. In accordance with the Timothy Piazza Anti-Hazing and Safe Harbor Act, medical amnesty was applied to prioritize student medical care without punitive disciplinary citations.
- Liquor Law Transports: Three additional intoxicated students were transported by Bethlehem EMS to St. Luke's Hospital for treatment, including one at Richards House (referred to the Dean of Students) and two separate incidents at Sigma Phi Delta Fraternity (one referred to the Dean of Students). LUPD also assisted Bethlehem Police with an off-campus transport of an intoxicated student on East 4th Street.
- University Center (Intoxication Evaluation): An intoxicated student found asleep in the lobby was evaluated by Lehigh EMS, signed a medical refusal form, and was escorted back to their residence hall in the care of a roommate.
- Fraud & Scams: No fake ID confiscations or scam reports occurred this week.
Facilities & Hazards:
- Hazardous Conditions: No structural gas leaks, water line ruptures, or structural fires occurre.
- Cooking Smoke Detector Activations: Localized smoke alarms activated due to burned food and cooking in Trembley Park Apartments Buildings D and E; both units were cleared and reset without hazard.
- Residence Alarm Verification: A student at Farrington Square Residence Hall Building A inadvertently triggered an in-room verification alarm, which cleared immediately prior to dispatch.
- Off-Campus Detector Maintenance: LUPD assisted Bethlehem Fire with detector chirps on Hillside Avenue and East 5th Street resulting from low batteries, which were replaced on site.
SECURITY ALARMS & UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS
Suspicious Activity:
- Richards House (Armed Rideshare Driver): Students reported an Uber driver in possession of two handguns; students canceled the ride and safely exited. Officers confirmed no threats were made and verbally trespassed the driver from campus property.
- Kappa Alpha Theta (Suspicious Vehicle): A student reported an unknown occupant of a dark four-door sedan offered them a bag of food; the vehicle departed after the student declined and told the driver to leave.
- Taylor Gym (Demonstration Policy Enforcement): Anti-abortion demonstrators displaying poster boards outside Taylor Gym were informed that university property requires event registration; the group peacefully complied and relocated to the public sidewalk along Packer Avenue.
- Richards House (Fireworks Disturbance): A report of suspected gunshots was investigated and determined to be fireworks.
- Zoellner Arts Center (Building Canvass): Staff reported two youths riding bicycles inside the facility; officers canvassed the building with negative results.
- Off-Campus Solicitation: A student reported an unsolicited monetary request from an unknown person at an off-campus retail store on Union Boulevard.
Security Breaches:
- Psi Upsilon (Access Hardware Failure): An exterior north door was discovered unlocked with an access reader blinking red/green; Lehigh IDEAL was contacted and successfully secured the entrance.
- Sayre Fields: Perimeter gates were found open during patrol and were inspected and secured.
Alarms:
- Door Prop/Held Alarms: Ten door prop alarms were investigated. Zoellner Arts Center logged three alarms requiring door tensioner adjustment work orders; Building J required a work order for a broken high-bay door; an interior suite door found propped open at the Business Innovation Building was checked, cleared, and secured; and doors at Grace Hall (2), Singleton House, Whitaker Laboratory, and Jordan Hall were checked and secured.
- Trouble Alarms: Seven trouble alarms were addressed. A panel alert at Saucon Village Diamond House was referred to Life Safety; an unconnected panic alarm in EWFM Library room 372 was referred to LTS; and alarms at Theta Chi, Sayre Park Village Building C, and House 99 were checked and cleared.
TRAFFIC STOPS & ENFORCEMENT
Traffic Stops:
- Lower Sayre Park Road / Lookout Drive: A non-Lehigh driver was stopped for obstructing the roadway and issued a written warning for stopping/standing and failure to provide valid registration documentation.
- Upper Sayre Park Road / Lower Sayre Park Road: A Lehigh student was stopped for speeding and issued a verbal warning.
Parking Enforcement:
- Lookout Drive Transit Blockages: Two separate calls were handled regarding passenger vehicles parked near The Lookout preventing Lehigh transit buses from completing turns onto Lower Sayre Park Road; drivers moved their vehicles upon officer request[cite: 13, 14].
- Packer Avenue Tow Zone Assist: Officers assisted Bethlehem Police with vehicle identification in a tow-away zone; the vehicle was not towed due to unclear signage timing.
SERVICE & LOGISTICS
Lockouts:
- Officers performed 53 identity-verified lockouts across undergraduate residence halls, Greek houses, academic labs, and faculty offices.
Welfare Checks:
- Ten "Check Person" calls were completed. Officers verified the safety of students at Taylor House, Building 106, and Saucon Village with no issues found.
- Officers assisted Bethlehem Police with an off-campus Lehigh senior threatening self-harm, resulting in safe transport to the hospital.
- An intoxicated alumnus at Goodman Stadium was monitored and safely reunited with family for private transport.
- Officers mediated an incident on West Morton Street where a non-Lehigh motorist harassed a Lehigh EMS crew following a traffic maneuver.
Assistance & Medical:
- Courtesy Safety Transports: Four safety transports were completed for students moving between academic centers, dining halls, and residence facilities.
- Medical Transports & Evaluations: First responders managed seven illness calls and two minor workplace/facility injuries. Emergency ambulance transports to St. Luke's Hospital were completed for an acute allergic reaction at Drinker House, general weakness at EWFM Library, and an acute mental health presentation at the Health & Wellness Center. Minor cuts treated on scene with signed medical refusals occurred at Building C (tool injury) and Stabler Arena (slip/fall).
- Logistics & Motorist Support: Officers provided traffic control to assist a charter coach bus on Dravo Drive, assisted a student with a disabled vehicle on Packer Avenue, and conducted a secure money escort at the University Center.
TRENDS & LESSONS LEARNED
- Lookout Drive Transit Congestion: Vehicles parked along Lookout Drive repeatedly blocked campus buses attempting turns onto Lower Sayre Park Road.
- Door Maintenance & Propping: Multiple alarms resulted from mechanical tensioner issues (Zoellner Arts Center and Building J) or intentional suite door propping (Business Innovation Building). Students and staff are urged to refrain from propping interior doors and report failing latches to Facilities promptly.