Recent Arrest on Wright Campus a Rarity says Security Director

Chicago police officers arrested a houseless individual last week after Wilbur Wright’s security officers were threatened in the northern parking lot.

After receiving a call from a resident on Montrose Ave reporting a man allegedly harassing her daughter who was walking her dog, Wright’s campus security confronted the man and asked him to leave the premises. After the man refused to leave and threatened the officers with a knife, CPD was called to arrest the man.

Over the years, many houseless persons have used Wright’s campus as a temporary squatting location. However, last week’s incident was a rarity, said Victor Guerrieri, Wright’s Director of Safety and Security. Most people who are found sleeping on campus peacefully walk away in the morning or leave after being asked by campus security.

In fact, the Wilbur Wright and Humboldt Park campuses have had the lowest Clery-reportable crime incidents out of all City Colleges of Chicago. In the Annual Campus Security Report, CCC covers three years worth of crime incidents they’ve reported under the Clery Act. The Office of Safety and Security also makes queries to the CPD for instances of crime that have happened in the surrounding radius of the campus. This full report is available to the public to allow prospective students and parents to review campus-community crime.

With more students returning to campus for in-person classes, security staff is being expanded by rehiring retired officers. These officers walk around campuses during open hours, said Guerrieri; they are not stationed in place. If a student sees any suspicious activity, they are encouraged to find a security officer or call their office to report and an officer will be dispatched accordingly. “We’re here to help in any way we can,” Guerrieri said.

Another change to Wright’s campus security that was made when reopening the campus post-pandemic relates to the student ID policy. Wilbur Wright College is the only college of CCC that does not require students to bear a school-issued ID on campus. This decision was made by President David Potash to create a welcoming campus for students and the community. It’s part of Wright’s initiative to ensure students, staff, and civilians are comfortable on campus.