On March 3, at approximately 1:20 AM, a student — allegedly from Hamilton College — wearing a light shirt and tan pants vandalized parking signs at the Hunt Realty Office at 26 College Street, Clinton, NY. The student is seen kicking the sign while a large group of students stand and watch nearby. It is believed they were waiting for the Late Nite Jitney, which picks up students in downtown Clinton near the Hunt Realty address. Currently, none of the students in the video have been identified by the College or Kirkland Police.
The Jitney, which is run by Hale Transportation and operated by an outside driver not employed by Hamilton College, offers students free rides into downtown Clinton, provided that they are over 21 years of age. The Jitney also brings students back up the Hill on Thursday through Saturday nights from 10 PM to 2 AM.
In the aftermath of the incident, Vice President and Dean of Students Terry Martinez sent an email to the campus community seeking information regarding the identities of the students involved. At press time, Martinez said the administration had nothing new to report and the incident is still under investigation.
Director of Safety Frank Coots, who has been working with the Kirkland Police in their investigation, said this is not the first time the Hunt Realty signs have been vandalised.
According to Coots, the signs were vandalised on two separate occasions in 2018 and the 2017–2018 academic year. The business is looking for compensation and an apology for the damage but is not looking to press charges as long as the student comes forward and admits to the damage.
According to Hamilton’s Code of Conduct, if a student does not come forward to admit wrongdoing in an event like this and are later identified as the perpetrator, they will be suspended from the College. If they come forward within 48 hours, the punishment is much less severe.
According to the Code of Conduct: “Students found responsible for intentional or reckless destruction of college or private property are assigned 10 points and suspended from the college. The only exception is for students who turn themselves in to Campus Safety or Residential Life within 48 hours following the incident. These students will be assigned a minimum of four points and required to pay twice the cost of the repair, up to $1000, with a $100 minimum charge.”
Coots additionally suggested that if incidents like this continue to occur at the Hunt Realty Jitney stop, the route may be adjusted or the stop removed altogether.
Campus Safety has urged students, like the ones seen on video witnessing this incident, to intervene if similar actions occur.
If anyone has information regarding the identity of the student(s) involved, they are asked to call the Kirkland Police directly at (315) 853–5627.
