Two arrests have been made in connection with three thefts in residence between Sept. 24 and Oct. 5, according to Carleton’s director of university safety Allan Burns.
Burns said the two individuals weren’t students. They came to campus “specifically to steal from rooms in residence,” he said.
The reported thefts took place in empty and unlocked residence rooms during the evening and nighttime, said special constable Mark Hargreaves, Carleton’s community liaison officer. Items reported stolen included two cellphones and a laptop, he said.
“Officers made arrests in connection with these incidents,” Hargreaves said. “No charges were laid, but the investigation is continuing.”
Harrison Boyd, a first-year journalism student, said on Facebook that two laptops, two wallets, and two cellphones were stolen from a room on his floor.
“I thought my floor was pretty safe before it happened,” Boyd said.
In response to the thefts, the department of housing and conference services sent an email to all students in residence Oct. 7, encouraging them to lock their doors and not allow strangers into the building.
“Everyone’s pretty careful about locking doors now. If we see a stranger on the floor we always ask who they’re here to see,” Boyd said. “We even have little signs [that say] ‘don’t let strangers into the dino cave.’ ”
For added security, students can take part in a $20 laptop registration program, according to the department of university safety. The program attaches a hard-to-remove “stop theft” plate to students’ laptops or other electronics and registers the device in a North American database, helping in the recovery of stolen property. When removed, the “stop theft” plate leaves a permanent tattoo, marking it as stolen property.
Still, not all thefts are reported.
“Reported thefts in residences aren’t common,” Hargreaves said. “Theft is a crime of opportunity so [university safety] would like to remind all residents to store valuables like cellphones, wallets and MP3 devices in a secure drawer when not in use.”
“I always have a lock on my computer, my bathroom is always locked, I bought a lock for my drawer, and I have a stowaway vault bolted to my bed frame,” Boyd said. “I was afraid something like this would happen, and I don’t plan on becoming a victim.”
