EWU University Police are looking for leads concerning vandalism in lot 16 near Roos Field.

On April 28, a parking enforcement officer discovered 21 vehicles in the lot with broken side mirrors. A police report said the vandalism took place between 1 and 6 a.m.

“It looks as though someone just [kicked off the mirrors],” said Gary Gasseling, deputy chief of EWU police. The side mirrors were detached from the cars and on the ground.

Police have found no physical evidence such as fingerprints or shoe prints and have no leads on any names of a person or people involved. As of now, according to Gasseling, the only patterns officers have seen are the bright colors of the cars vandalized and how most of the cars involved belong to people who live in Dressler Hall and Pearce Hall.

In an effort to gather more information, an officer with campus police visited the residence halls involved, asking if anyone knew anything. Red Barn is also turning to social media like Yik Yak.

The case file documenting the vandalism contains these social media posts. Some of the yaks were from people who complained about having something else to spend money on as well as saying, “I’m going to the cops.”

Gasseling said social media helps police clue in on what is happening on campus. While they do not have someone hired to monitor social media on a daily basis, when students tell officers there is something concerning on a social media site, the police will start monitoring all posts from that site.

In case a particular post on social media is relevant enough to an investigation, the EWU police can subpoena companies like Yik Yak to get information from the poster of interest.

“They’ll give us an IP address … the phone number … we go through our resources to find a name,” said Gasseling.

In cases like vandalism it is about “being a good citizen.” Gassling said students should not walk around and text simultaneously since there are events happening everywhere and all the time and any tip could be helpful.

“If anything would tickle our interest … it gives us something,” said Gasseling.

Students who have any information regarding the vandalism in Lot 16 on April 28 are asked to call the campus police tip line at 509-359-4268.