Texas A&M University-Commerce students are watching their belongings more closely due to thefts being reported to the University Police Department. At least, that’s what UPD Lt. Jason Bone hopes.
The latest reported theft occurred Wednesday afternoon, outside of Gee Library. According to police reports, the suspect took a purse from an outdoor table and ran from the area in “a northerly direction.”
“Thefts are not necessarily up over last year, people are just leaving their stuff out in the open,” Bone said. “All of the thefts [that have been reported this year] are avoidable. [Students] are making themselves targets because they’re being careless.”
Common stolen items include wallets, purses, cell phones and backpacks, according to an e-mail sent out to students and faculty. Students are asked to call campus police if they find any property left unattended.
According to Bone, perhaps the biggest hurdle regarding campus thefts is most A&M-C students don’t know the problem exists.
“I didn’t even know there was a theft problem,” undergraduate Courtney Conley said. “Then I read the e-mail that was sent to students. It stinks.”
Some suggestions on how to protect property are basic, although sometimes overlooked, Bone said. Forgetting to lock a residence hall room door, for instance, can result in a much higher risk of having property stolen. The UPD recommends locking doors even when the tenants are still in the room.
The UPD offers free campus-wide identification number engravings for property, which assists police in finding the rightful owner of the property. Students or faculty can set up an appointment at UPD headquarters (located at the front of Henderson Hall) to have property engraved.
Another option is “property identification,” which is a form available on the UPD’s Web site (which can be reached from the A&M-C home page) in a downloadable format. After the form is filled out and turned in, the UPD put the serial numbers listed in a database.
“Very few people [use the program],” Bone said. “We only had about 15 turned into us out of hundreds that were distributed. It’s a good program – if people will use it.”
Students concerned with having a laptop or computer stolen can also contact the technology services department to find the computer’s MAC (Media Access Control) address – a unique feature of every computer with a network card.
“If I have a computer’s MAC address, I can find it,” Bone said.
According to Bone, only one laptop has been stolen this year.
Bone estimated property that has been listed with the UPD is recovered more than 70 percent of the time, whereas property not registered is less likely to be recovered.
Students found with stolen property are arrested and charged. Later, they are sent to the dean, who determines any University-imposed punishment. That punishment can range from suspension to expulsion, depending on if the student has had any other problems on campus.
“I don’t think we’re unique. All universities deal with theft,” Bone said.
Thefts can be reported to the UPD via phone at 903-886-5868 or fax at 903-886-5871.