The Department of Public Safety recognized two SLU staff members on Friday, Nov. 12 for their assistance in apprehending a burglary suspect in eight VCR thefts.

Office manager Elizabeth Lawrence and senior secretary Bridget Cole, both from the School of Social Services, were each presented award certificates in recognition of their “efforts and assistance in aiding the Department of Public Safety in apprehending a burglary suspect.”

Lawrence said that she and Cole were preparing to leave Tegeler Hall around 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 8, when they spied a man wandering through the building. Most of the faculty in the School of Social Services had left for the day and no classes meet on Friday afternoons.

Lawrence said that she and Cole saw the subject in “an area not accessible to the public” and approached him under the impression that the man was homeless.

Cole said the subject was not carrying a bookbag and did not appear to be a student. “He just didn’t look like he fit in,” Cole said.

While Cole phoned DPS, Lawrence asked the subject if he was looking for someone in particular, to which he replied “Johnson.” Lawrence then asked if he was referring to Celerstine Johnson, Assistant Provost for retention, to which the subject replied “yes,” using the word “her.” However, when Cole had asked the same question before Lawrence approached him, the subject had referred to Johnson as “him.”