A university safety sting operation looking into thefts in Carleton’s Athletics Building led to the arrest and subsequent charges of five suspects Nov. 26, according Allan Burns, director of the department of university safety.
“Since the beginning of September, we noticed a frequency of thefts occurring in the athletics complex, including the Ice House, the pool area and the gymnasiums,” Burns said.
“Many of the thefts involve crimes of opportunity where valuables are left unattended, even momentarily, and are stolen,” he said.
Yolanda Junco, assistant director of the department of recreation and athletics, said the thefts are not always constant.
“This month we had three thefts, but then sometimes we won’t have any for six months,” she said.
Junco also said the men’s locker room is the most common place for thefts.
“Before, [the thieves] used to cut the lockers . . . We got new lockers so now they are cutting the locks,” she said.
However, not all thefts are the product of forced entry, Burns said.
Community liaison officer Laura Branchaud was put on the case to review the occurrence reports and video from inside the athletics building, and she was able to identify a pattern to the thefts as well as possible persons of interest, Burns said.
With this information, university safety officers, led by Branchaud, conducted an undercover surveillance of the buildings, Burns said.
“They were able to identify five persons of interest and followed them until they entered the men’s locker room.”
Five male suspects were arrested by university safety officers. Ottawa police were then called in to assist, Burns said.
They were charged with various offences, including theft, trespass to property and possession of a fraudulent bus pass.
Two of the suspects were released with a court date, Burns said.
According to Burns, the other three remained in custody in relation to breaching conditions from previous criminal charges.
“None of the suspects were Carleton students,” Burns said. “The investigation continues in an attempt to tie these suspects to previous occurrences.”