Campus loses laptops in unsolved summer crime spree
By Karlie Baker
IV Leader Staff
“The theft rate here is usually so zilch, we become too relaxed and don’t think theft can happen,” said Ken Sangston, head of security at Illinois Valley Community College, in response to a rash of recent thefts on campus. Items stolen within the last few months range from laptop computers to money.
Is IVCC suffering a theft epidemic? Between the dates of July 27-August 15, four to five laptops were taken from the Peer Tutoring office. IVCC security is not sure if the Peer Tutoring Center doors were locked at the time of break-in, nor if the cabinet that contained them was locked. Cathi Nelson, a Peer Tutoring employee, was “shocked” to find the laptops missing. “The office is out of limits. Nobody really goes back there,” she said. This is the first occurrence of theft in that area.
Sangston believes that no students were involved in the crime, due to the time of the theft. He also added that there is a “person of interest,” in connection to the crime. The investigation has been turned over to the Oglesby Police Department. Around the same time, a card reader was taken from the IV Leader office. Some teachers have also reported money missing from their desk drawers. More recently, students have notified security of CD’s and tapes missing from their vehicles. None of the incidents are believed to be related.
While the laptops are a significant loss, Sangston believes that concern for further theft will not be an eminent problem. The school has invested over $100,000 into security equipment, which includes seventy-eight security cameras positioned throughout the campus. The cameras are accredited to aiding security on previous occasions.
Other instances of theft can be accredited to what Sangston calls “sloppy housekeeping.” Oftentimes, students leave cars unlocked, or leave belonging unattended, resulting in a disappearance of items. Even more often, though, belongings are misplaced—often ending up in the security office. Every year security guards find abandoned iPods, cameras, glasses, clothing, and even defibrillators which are never reported lost or claimed.
The topic has caught the interest of students and staff alike, but Sangston stands firm that theft is “nothing new” to campus. Theft rates are more a matter of paying attention to belongings. “You’re bound to lose a dollar or two now and then. In life, expect the unexpected,” Sangston said. He add that the best way to combat cases of loss or theft is to keep cars and office doors locked, and to keep possessions in close range at all times.