If you have been checking your email at all in the past couple of weeks you will most certainly have noticed the messages from Campus Safety regarding thefts. Just like books, bikes and nervous freshman, every college campus has thefts. Now this doesn’t mean Joe sitting next to you in Economics is pondering how to steal your new iPod or the girl you always bump into in the cafeteria has been selling laptops to buy her designer shoes.
Many on campus burglaries are actually committed by non-students. College campuses are such easy targets for burglars mainly because they provide easy access. Open campus colleges make it extremely easy for non students to blend in and patrol for easy targets. But unfortunately for Eckerd, having a closed campus lulls us into the false sense of security that we live in our own world and don’t have the dangers and threats that other campuses have. The closed campus makes us feel safe and secure without the worry that we are or are belongings are in danger. One student commented on why she feels it’s okay to leave her door unlocked; “I know my neighbors, and coming from a big city, I feel much safer here”.
All over Eckerd’s campus are open dorm rooms, unlocked cars and unaccompanied long boards. One student says, “When I go somewhere like the cafeteria or the dorm lounge I just leave my door unlocked because I’m nearby”. While it is harder for non-students to come on campus, it is not impossible and definitely not uncommon. It’s unbelievably easy for someone to slip into a room for two seconds, grab a phone or iPod sitting out on a desk, and just slip it into their pocket and walk away without anyone noticing.
In the past month alone four laptops, a play station 3, a GPS, an IPod with accessories and varying amounts of money were reported stolen throughout the residence halls and parking lots. In all of these circumstances either the doors or windows were left unlocked. So far, one laptop has been recovered and returned through a tracking system called Prey. It’s a free software that is downloadable on multiple devices. You can find more information and download this software at preyproject.com.
Even though Eckerd is a close-knit community and it’s nice to feel safe and at home here, there are still threats to our personal belongings. By simply locking doors and windows we can drastically cut back on burglaries on campus. It takes a whole extra five seconds to lock your room but it can make a huge difference. In light of all the recent burglaries on campus please protect your valuables with tracking software and remember to keep them in protected places.
Eckerd is a beautiful, caring community but we can’t forget that, even on campus, we are not immune to larceny.