Since the opening of Dillard University’s newest dorm, the Innovation Collective (IC) residence hall, the parking situation has left students’ cars vulnerable to break-ins.
The building located at 4141 Norman Meyer Ave. was completed in June 2025 and has a capacity to house 251 students. The residence hall also has a student lounge, communal kitchen, study rooms and more.
The residence hall has a gated parking lot, but it only has 30 spots available for students. Students were selected on a first-come, first-served basis, and those selected received a scanner for the locked gate.
Last semester, Dillard University’s Police Department (DUPD) reported five cars broken into outside of the IC.
The first break-ins occurred on Sept. 1, 2025, between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. Two students’ vehicles were broken into and one was stolen. The unstolen car had a rear passenger window smashed. The stolen car was reportedly found off campus with the ignition running and no one present at 11 a.m. that same day by the New Orleans Police Department. Both students were unharmed, reported DUPD in an email.
The third break-in occurred on Oct. 19, 2025. A student reported to DUPD that her vehicle, parked in front of the IC, was broken into. The next two occurred on Nov. 10, 2025; between the hours of 1 a.m. and 3 a.m two cars were broken into and burglarized, reported DUPD in an email.
The break-ins didn’t stop last semester. Guylon Wardlow, a sophomore computer science major, was a victim of the car break-ins.
“I first found out Jan. 15th, around about 6 a.m. the next day. At the time, I had parked my car outside the IC gate, like on the sidewalk, because it was full,” Wardlow said.
The car break-ins have sparked concern about university police and their patrolling among students.
“I have heard about other like similar incidents, you know, on campus because I know one of the girls that got her car broken into as well,” said Wardlow. “I’m not the only person.”
Trent Rosebourgh, a sophomore psychology major, received a pass for the IC gate. He deems parking outside the gate unsafe and that Dillard University hasn’t done enough to address the situation, he said.
“It’s just so unfortunate. We are expected to park on Dillard’s property and feel safe,” said Rosebourgh. “Break-ins and any kind of burglaries or any kind of crime make me feel unsafe as a student, so I’d hope that Dillard PD or just Dillard University in general could do a better job of taking care of our students and their property,” he continued.
Dillard University Police leave these tips for students to help keep their community safe:
- Be aware of your surroundings and the people around you, especially if it’s dark or you are alone.
- Stay in well-lit areas when walking around campus or from hall to hall.
- Make eye contact with people when walking, but avoid responding to conversation from strangers.
- Walk with confidence and at a steady pace; never seem to others that you are lost or confused about your surroundings.
- Make sure the door is secured before you relocate from the area.
- Do not hold a door open and allow anyone to enter into the residence hall. Anyone entering or exiting must have their Dillard ID to access their residence.
- If you are locked out of your residence you must contact the RA on call.
- If you see a suspicious person contact DUPD at 504-816-4911. Be prepared to give your name, a call back number if DUPD becomes disconnected, your location, a description of the suspicious person and last known direction of travel.
[Content pulled from Bleu Media Network News package by Carson Brown]
