Council tackles dining hall thieves

Author: Brian Fung

The College's Community Council discussed the possible installation of security cameras in dining halls during its Monday meeting in an effort to combat increased theft on campus. Though the Council did not vote on any specific proposals, a preliminary response, including requiring access cards for entrance to Atwater Dining Hall, could be made within the next few days.

One proposal, though still in its infancy, calls for the installation of security cameras at campus dining halls. Both College officials and student representatives on the Council expressed enthusiasm for the project and pledged to examine it further in the coming weeks. The discussion signaled the revival of a year-old debate over the balance between privacy and security on campus.

The issue of personal security has grown considerably in recent years, though most incidents of theft have thus far been generally restricted to College dining halls, which experience heavy traffic on a daily basis.

"It is a problem," said Olivia Bailey '07. "Those are patently public places."

The Council discussion comes after several thefts from dining halls this fall. Recent mailroom theft was also discussed. In one instance, several payroll checks disappeared from the College mailroom, only to resurface until a day later.

"They were found in a ditch in Weybridge," said Director of Public Safety Lisa Boudah. "We've got a more sophisticated thief now." Instead of birthday and holiday cards stuffed with cash, she said, "they're looking for payroll or reimbursement checks."

According to Boudah, stolen checks were, in a number of cases, cashed using stolen student identification cards - a strategy that provides thieves with a degree of anonymity.

"Some of the pictures on those ID cards are two or three years old," said Tom Corbin, director of business services at the College. He suggested that students could pose as another individual with relative ease, if they so chose, by presenting an identification card other than their own.

How the checks were accessed is unclear, but most members of the Council agreed that the burden lies on students to protect their personal space.

"This is the real world," said Michael Pixley, a representative from Facilities Services. "This isn't your house. This is a community. And as students you need to take responsibility."

Douglass Sisson '07.5 addressed the situation more bluntly. "If you're getting a check and you're leaving your mailbox open," he said, "it's just your fault."

Others said that stealing on campus is antithetical to the spirit of the College.

"The fact that people leave their mailboxes unlocked doesn't matter," said Dean Atyia '08.5, a Council representative. "It shouldn't happen either way."

In an effort to deter would-be thieves, the College is reconsidering a plan shelved by the Student Government Association during the 2004-2005 academic year. In addition to installing security cameras covering the entrances to College dining halls, more buildings would become locked so that only individuals with appropriate identification cards would be allowed access. No budget has been approved as yet, but initial estimates place the likely cost at nearly $50,000.

Attempts to control theft in the past were largely unsuccessful. One suggestion to install lockers in dining halls for student use was rejected. Another proposal, this time to provide students with a bag-checking service, was turned down for fear that misplaced items would pose an unacceptable liability for the College, according to Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson. The notion of allowing backpacks into dining halls foundered as well, in the end proving too much of a hazard during crowded meal times.

"Ultimately, we decided there were safety concerns," said Hanson.

College officials said that the current proposal, though still under negotiation with security company Kolram Access Services, holds promise. Marketing Manager Liza Sacheli suggested that the surveillance system be established piecemeal, one dining hall at a time.

"If the cameras were installed perhaps as a pilot program," she said, "that would be the best solution." Sacheli, among others, emphasized that visible results, either in the reduction of theft or in its migration to unmonitored dining halls, would be a step in tracking thieves and key to the program's survival.

Under the proposed initiative, cameras would cover the public areas in which thievery occurs most frequently. However, Corbin acknowledged that even sophisticated surveillance technology can neither replace human vigilance nor entirely guarantee the safety of student possessions.

"The problem with cameras is that if you are smart you can fool them," he said. He suggested that it would be easy for a thief to blend in with other students outside the dining hall.