Campus Thefts

by: Tara Nolan

Stonehill College student Lincoln Rose, 19, left his dorm room for a few minutes and got an unpleasant surprise when he returned.

“I was going to the bathroom for five minutes and I came back and my laptop was gone. I never would have thought that within that short amount of time someone would be able to steal my things,” said Rose.

Rose's case is not unique and, experts say, college students are becoming easy targets for criminals looking to make a quick buck by stealing easy to sell items.
From laptops to iPods to video game stations, thieves are targeting college students both locally and around the country.

As high school students prepare to go off to college in the fall, experts say they should be extra careful about what they leave in their rooms and lock up every time they leave.

In 2003, 2,086 cases of robbery were reported on college campuses according to the U.S. Department of Education.

“We really recommend that students install the software known as Computrace LoJack for their laptops. It will really help police find their stolen belongings faster,” said Officer Rose Litwinczuk.

This software is a theft protection service that tracks, locates, and recovers stolen laptop and desktop computers.

While the numbers of thefts at schools such as Stonehill College are small compared to other colleges and universities, students are still shocked when it happens.

In 2006 at Stonehill College, in Easton there were 10 reports of burglary on campus. This is extremely small in comparison to Wheaton College that had 32 reports of burglary on campus, including 22 thefts from dorms. Bridgewater State College reported 55 burglaries and one robbery on campus.

“Our most recent investigation has led to several links to several thefts in other dorms on campus,” said Stonehill detective Sgt. .Karen Ahern.

In the O’Hara residence hall alone at Stonehill, five laptops were stolen over the past year. Numerous items, including laptops and a Playstation 3 were also stolen from a residence hall close by, Boland Hall.

In one of the cases in O’Hara Hall, two laptops, two iPods, an iPod docking station, a DVD player, a graphing calculator, a digital camera printer, and three digital cameras were stolen. The items were also stolen out of the room with the resident Simone Geery’s backpack.

“I just couldn’t believe that all of our stuff was taken like that. You think you feel safe somewhere and the next minute you’re questioning everyone around you,” said Geery, 19, Montauk, N.Y.

Stonehill campus police also give various crime prevention tips on their website.
· Keep your room/office door locked every time you are away. A thief with a target in mind needs only SECONDS to accomplish his/her task.
· Keep valuables secured out of sight. Laptop computers, pocketbooks, and cameras belong in a locked drawer, not under the desk or on a shelf.
· Not all people at the college are students or guests. Some people come to a college campus to commit personal and property crimes.
· Do not prop doors open.
· Do not allow strangers to follow you into the building.

Besides Stonehill College, other local colleges experience campus thefts as well.

At Wheaton College in Norton, the campus has a public safety system similar to that of Stonehill.
Community Relations Officer, John Melkonian, said that the school does experience thefts on campus but not a lot.
One student said she has had some smaller items taken.
“I have had things stolen from me but, they were as small as a head band. I feel safe at my school and we have a great public safety which can be really strict at times but keeps us all safe,” said Wheaton College student Jessica Coons, 19.

Similar to Stonehill, Wheaton advises students to be safe with their belongings at all times.

“Students need to communicate with us. Talk to us, read our literature, read the website, take our advice,” said Melkonian.