String of thefts continues

This semester has seen a dramatic increase in theft of both school-owned and personal possessions, shattering for many the illusion of security and trust on the EMU campus.

Stolen items include license plates, bike thefts, and most recently, computers from campus offices. Students have reported theft of personal possessions from dorm rooms, outside the cafeteria, and personal vehicles.

Many students see no need to lock their doors, other than when they leave for a weekend or on break. This past month though, money was stolen from the rooms of several students in Northlawn.

Junior Caitlin Miller was one of the victims of theft from her dorm room. Commenting on the crime, Miller said, "I felt violated." For Miller, the significance was not the loss of personal property so much as the loss of trust.

"I feel like I can't trust people," Miller said. "I used to never lock my door unless I was leaving campus." Now, however, she is re-thinking using the door locks.

Leaving doors unlocked is not an uncommon occurrence in the residence halls. "We didn't lock our door, ever," said junior Becky Hoover, who now lives off campus. "It became a pain to carry around our keys." A first year student agreed that "it's too inconvenient to lock the door all the time."

Although the EMU campus may seem to be a bubble at times, still living in the "good old days" of the freedom to safely leave things unlocked, these past few months have shown that this is no longer the case. The atmosphere of trust that makes students feel safe with leaving their rooms unlocked may also be inviting theft.

"I like to trust people," said sophomore Benjamin Stutzman. However, after having his personal bicycle stolen, Stutzman may have to re-evaluate his trust. "Now I have to lock it wherever I go."

Students Debbie DiGennaro and Thaddeus Hollingsworth were also victims of bike theft in recent weeks. DiGennaro said, "I didn't even have a nice bike; no one is going to sell it and get money because it only cost me $20. It was annoying because that's how I get around campus. It was disrespectful; why would anyone care about my bike?"

While students generally can leave their bikes unattended and have nothing happen to them, there is no longer the certainty that someone will not take advantage of an unchained bike.

As with locking dorm rooms, students find it very inconvenient to have to lock a bike wherever they go, especially for short stops at the library or Campus Center. However, when the end result could be a loss in property, taking the time to use a bike chain may be worth the effort. Overnight is when it becomes more important to lock up personal bikes.

While locks can be picked and bike chains cut, making crime more difficult will go a long way to discouraging it. However, while campus security advises caution in protecting any valuables, students still are more inclined to opt for the convenience of unlocked doors and unchained bikes over inconvenient security measures.

The general atmosphere of trust and respect that sets EMU apart from many universities makes this an option. However, any unattended bright yellow bikes of the campus fleet are always up for grabs.