Indiana Statesman

Lock it up- Some college students found their possessions missing this week after thefts sprang up on campus.

To many college students, it seems as if every day is just another battle to secure what belongs to them. It seems there is always another unfortunate soul who has "misplaced" his iPod or is missing money from his wallet. As unfortunate as this is, rarely is the student reimbursed or the culprit found. Often, this could have easily been avoided if a student had simply locked up his belongings.

ISU hasn't seen a major increase in theft this semester as opposed to past semesters, but theft is still considered to be the largest single crime on campus, statistically speaking, said Bill Mercier, Chief of Police at ISU Public Safety. Students need to realize theft is still a big problem, however. Last weekend , five thefts were reported on campus in frequently trafficked buildings, including the Cunningham Memorial Library and Lincoln Quads. In 2001, 206 thefts and 53 burglaries were reported across campus resulting in the loss of nearly $60,580 worth of property. According to Public Safety, an estimated $234.90 was lost per theft or burglary.

"There is a difference between theft and burglary," Mercier explained, "Burglary is actually breaking into a building without consent and stealing something. Theft involves taking something from another with the intent to permanently deprive them of it."

Although theft and burglary are two of the most easily prevented crimes that occur on campus, students rarely consider securing their property. Many fail to recognize that through education and property registration, the likelihood of victimization is minimized.

Students in a rush to get to their classes on time often leave car windows down, which sometimes results in parking permits disappearing. Others may think that a cheap chain for their bikes will be good enough, yet return to find the bike missing.

One way to secure items in residence halls is to invest in a safe. While portable safes suffice in some situations, they can also easily be picked up and taken to another location making it easier on the perpetrator to unlock the safe on their own time.

As for installing safes into the closet of residence hall rooms, College Safes, Inc. (CSI) is the only approved installed safe provider for residence hall rooms on ISU's campus. CSI offers a cost-effective rental program for residential hall students to help keep their possessions safe and sound, according to www.collegesafesinc.com.

However, if a student chooses against investing in a safe, there are also other options. Some are as simple as locking doors when leaving.
If personal property still comes up missing, make sure to report it to ISU Public Safety immediately. Report any serial numbers, engravings or identifiable information.

When Public Safety is notified of a possible theft, this information is forwarded to the National Crime Information Center and then to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where it will be processed. If the perpetrator tries to sell this item, he will be punished to the fullest extent the law allows, according to Public Safety's Web site.

"People need to realize that this is a relatively safe place, but if you leave things lying around, they're going to walk away," Mercier said.

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