Hidden Camera Investigation Reveals Potential Threats On UAHuntsville Campus

How safe is the campus at the University of Alabama in Huntsville? And are campus police doing enough to protect the students, faculty and staff? Our investigation has revealed questionable policies and practices of the campus police department. A whistle blower claims crime statistics are being manipulated to make the campus appear safer. Plus, possible violations of federal law and that's not all.

We've uncovered more potential threats to campus safety, dangers the students, faculty and staff were never warned about. In our Taking Action Investigation we use a hidden camera to put the university to the test and the feds could come circling as a result of our investigation.


"Does the campus community realize what's really truly happening out there on the campus of UAHuntsville?" we asked the informant.

"No," the whistle blower replied.

The informant has been on the inside of the UAHuntsville Police Department.

"You obviously feel it's important for you to say this," we asked. "Why is it important for you to say this?"

"The University campus with its faculty staff and students deserve the right to be protected and protected properly," the informant said. "The University police department is substandard at best, and there is minimal protection to say the least."

This informant is blowing the whistle about the policies and practices of the current administration of the UAHuntsville Police Department.

"When you know what is right, and you know how in some instances, how police work you need to be pro-active," the informant said. "There appears to be no pro-active policing done to protect the university community."

WHNT NEWS 19's Taking Action Investigation has uncovered several threats to campus safety over the last year. We learned about these disturbing details through internal documents that were leaked to us. These include potential dangers that students and faculty were never warned about.

Case in point: Alex Lee. He's banned from the UAHuntsville campus. Police records show he has a history of impersonating people on campus.

According to an arrest report, the last time he came onto the campus, UAHuntsville police found a loaded 12-gauge shotgun in his car, 10 rounds of ammunition, toy guns, a video camera and a phony police badge in his wallet.

Then there's Sean Crawford, a homeless man spending the night in Roberts Hall. Police records indicate he went into the computer lab at midnight and exposed himself to a female student. Campus police arrested him for criminal trespass. He was later convicted of indecent exposure.

Just last week, Crawford was cited for trespassing yet again. No one immediately connected the dots, and let him go.

And then there's Donald Mitchell. Police documents show he's been committed to mental institutions in the past, and has had many run-ins with campus police.

Last year, he went into Madison Hall, demanding to speak to the president of the college. Police interviewed students who say they feared for their safety.

Mitchell was arrested and hauled off to jail. The next day, he was released, and took a taxi back to the university and went into the same building, demanding to speak to the president.

Witness statements show people screaming. Another reveals a janitor had to sit on Mitchell's head so the police officer could put him in handcuffs.

The question is, should the campus community have received warnings about any of these incidents?