The subject was caught in the WAC Bennett Library
An arrest has been made in the string of thefts that have ravaged Burnaby campus during the last semester. The arrest comes in the wake of a spike of thefts that occurred on campus over the past few months, with 40 incidents occurring between Jan. 1st and Feb. 27th alone.
An SFU employee discovered the student in an office area in WAC Bennett Library two weeks ago. The person in question appeared suspicious, and so the SFU employee requested the subject remain in the area while Campus Security was contacted. Campus Security brought the subject to their offices and RCMP attended to secure the arrest.
“This was a perfect example of community partnerships working together for crime prevention.” said Katey Scott, Communications Officer for Safety & Risk Services at SFU.
So far in 2013, the library and the Lorne Davies Complex have had the highest rates of reported personal item theft — more than the rest of the Burnaby campus combined. A reason for this statistic might be the increased number of items left unattended while students study or search for material in the library.
“Theft of opportunity [which occurs when owners leave their items unattended] is the most common type of crime that occurs at SFU,” commented Scott. “Thieves are looking for small portable items that are high in value such as cell phones, laptops and tablets. This type of theft is actually quite avoidable . . . individuals can combat [it] personally by not leaving items unattended — not even for a second.”
This semester, there have been two incidents where Campus Security has detained, and Burnaby RCMP have come onto campus to arrest theft-of-oppor tunity perpetrators. These suspects were either caught in the act of stealing, or provided reasonable grounds for the RCMP to arrest them. Campus Security was contacted immediately in both of these incidents and were able to locate and detain the suspects until the RCMP arrived.
While Campus Secur ity statistics show that thefts have steadily increased over the past few years at all three SFU campuses, this is not just an SFU problem. The majority of universities across Canada and the United States have seen an increase in theft incidents.
In an era where ever y student seems to have a cell phone, a laptop, an iPod, and a number of other small and easily stolen gadgets, this statistic seems fitting, especially during exam time when students are more focused on their books and notes than on their personal items. To mitigate the increased number of thefts at SFU, Campus Security is launching an educationalcommunity outreach campaign, “Leave it, Lose it.”
The “Leave it, Lose it” theft prevention awareness campaign aims to educate students, and other community members, by providing theft prevention tips and highlighting SFU resources available to them in trying to avoid becoming a victim of theft,” Scott explained. “In addition, we want to ensure that students know to contact Campus Security immediately to report suspicious behaviour, or if a theft has occurred.” Such vigilance is what made the two arrests this semester possible.
At this time, Campus Security is not aware what will happen to the student, as the file now sits with the RCMP.
