Posters have been placed in the men’s gym change rooms warning users of an increase in thefts after eight were reported during the month of October, according to Allan Burns, director of the Department of University Safety.
The thefts are being investigated by Ottawa police, Burns said.
In a previous effort by the department of recreation and athletics to deter theft, alarms were placed in certain men’s lockers, along with posters warning users of the update. Burns said via email that the alarms were part of a ‘Bait Locker’ crime prevention program.
Fran Craig, administrator of the Athletics’ Welcome Centre, said the project was an attempt to stop thefts from the men’s locker room.
“A few years ago we experienced a rise in thefts in the Men’s locker room,” Fran Craig, the administrator of the Welcome Centre in Athletics, said in an email. “At that time we installed a few locker alarms as a pilot project. The idea being that if an alarmed locker was broken into an alarm would sound.”
But the project saw little success, with Craig describing the alarms as “irrelevant” and “ineffective” in combatting theft.
“We only received false alarms for these lockers and they never led to an arrest,” Burns said. “The program was found to be ineffective and as a result, the bait locker alarms are being removed.”
Aidan Farrell, a fourth-year commerce student who said he goes to Athletics four times a week, was unaware of locker theft being a large issue.
“I do have some valuables in there but I’ve never felt worried about [them], I just put on a standard lock,” Farrell said. “[Leaving items unattended] worries me a little bit but I’ve never had a bad experience with it.”
Farrell said he believes people will steal, regardless of whether or not the bait locker program is run.
“I don’t think that bait lockers with alarms are the greatest idea as people who want to steal something will watch others put their items in [lockers],” he added.
Burns said the most common forms of theft are “crimes of opportunity,” meaning items left unattended in the changing room and unlocked lockers, which are easy targets for thieves.
According to Burns, education is Campus Safety’s most effective crime prevention tool.
With the rise in thefts, more emphasis has been placed on education in order to raise awareness for the issue and promote safe habits for gym goers, according to Craig.
“We have had success with our public awareness campaign alerting Carleton University’s community to the rise in thefts and advising them to protect their property,” Craig said.
Craig added people should make sure to not leave valuable items in the locker room, and to secure their locker with a heavy-duty lock. She also encourages people to report any suspicious activity to Campus Safety.
The joint effort between Campus Safety and Athletics continues, as the number of CCTV cameras surrounding locker rooms has increased over the past few years, Burns said.
“You can never be too cautious,” he said.
