Elyssa Rosenberg was woken from her mid-day nap someone she initially assumed was her roommate, Adrian Yeganeh. But the perpetrator who disturbed her slumber was someone Rosenberg had never seen before. Upon Rosenberg's alarmed questioning, the stranger said that he was leaving a note for her roommate, and mumbled that his name was "Dave" as he left the room.
Later, Yeganeh discovered that her wallet - which had been inside her bag - was missing. While there wasn't any money in the lost wallet, she had to cancel her credit cards and get a new drivers license.
"It's frightening that at 12 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, it's unsafe to have your door unlocked," Yeganeh, a resident of Haskell Hall, said.
There have been a number of reported incidents like this one on campus. And according to Officer Linda MacKay of the TUPD Crime Prevention Unit, everyone on campus should be aware of their valuables at all times.
"Anybody could be a victim if they're not aware of what is going on. You become comfortable because Tufts is a safe campus.You think you know everyone around you, but, unfortunately, in the five minutes you're gone to the bathroom, you could lose your laptop," MacKay said.
Dorms are not the only place on campus where students can become victims of theft. There also have been five reported incidents of theft in the last month from the cubbyholes at the Fitness Center in Cousens' Gym. Items such as walkmans and wallets that are left behind by unsuspecting students have been disappearing. MacKay recommends that students do not leave anything of value unattended, even at the gym.
"I wouldn't leave any personal property in the cubbies. You can't monitor them while you work out," MacKay said. She suggests that students carry a "fanny pack" with them to hold their ID and money to the machines. MacKay also warns students not to leave their wallets or money on the bleachers in the intramural gym next to the fitness center.
When theft occurs, it's not just the money that's hard to replace. Sophomore Raja Taunk had money stolen from his wallet when his roommate left the door unlocked after coming home one weekend night. The difficulty, he says, is replacing a driver's license or a social security card while far from home.
"As a college student, every dollar matters," he said.
The Crime Prevention unit recommends several practices for students to avoid such situations. "Your room door is not like bedroom door at home," MacKay said. "Your room door is like your home door, you should it lock at all the times."
The officer urges students to treat their dorm door in the same way and not to prop it. She says that while students may have polite intentions for holding the door for the next person who is coming in, "piggy-backing" allows easy access to dorms for outsiders.
TUPD alerts students to repeated incidents or criminal issues on campus with Secure Alert warnings, a sign that describes the problem, which are posted near area in which the problem occurred.
Students had a way to protect their laptops last year through Security Tracking of Office Property (STOP), but this service, which was run by Tufts Online, is not available this year. Through STOP, a metal plate was firmly attached to the top of a laptop and leaves a permanent tattoo if removed, which shows that the property was stolen.
Not only does STOP help students in retrieving their lost item, but it works as a theft deterrent since thieves would not be able to resell the computer. This would not stop a thief, however, who plans to use a stolen laptop for his or her personal use.
While STOP is no longer available, TUPD does allow students to take part in its Operation ID program. This program, which can be used not just on personal computers, but on any item that numbers can be engraved on such as stereo equipment, Palm Pilot, or cell phone. TUPD loans engravers for 24 hours and recommends students etch their driver's license number on to their property. The data goes into a national crime computer and if the stolen item is recovered it can be used to retrieve their lost property. TUPD and student get copies of the information put on the item. The program is not catered solely to students - anyone in the community can borrow the engravers.
Anya Potter didn't find it necessary to use STOP or Operation ID - the sophomore just uses a lock to secure her laptop.
"I was talking to a friend of mine and she pointed out that it would be hard to sell it and I might want to sell my eventually. The lock was just fine with me," Potter said. She added that people who lease their laptops do not have the option to participate in these programs
One anonymous sophomore isn't concerned about losing his laptop and does not lock it regularly. "I just don't worry about it being taken if I'm only out of the room for five minutes. There is someone always there, if I'm not there my neighbors are," the sophomore said.
MacKay stresses that students should try to be aware of their belongings. "When we forget that we leave things alone, when things are left unsecured, that's when things happen," MacKay said.
MacKay recommends that students use all the theft deterrents mentioned. "Anything that you can do, anything that is a deterrent, is a good thing. Once you lose a laptop, you lose not only price of the laptop but the information, if it's not backed up on a disk, and that's priceless," she said.
TUPD has a liaison program with Res Life called "Have Trunk Will Travel," in which TUPD comes to many of the main dorms on campus to encourage students toparticipate in Operation ID. There are five remaining programs for the semester: tonight at Miller, Sunday Nov. 11 at South, Wednesday Nov. 14 at Wren, and Sunday Nov. 18 at Carpenter House.
MacKay advises students that "being aware is something that we need to be." She urges students not to leave valuables unattended and locking the door and bringing keys with you. "It's so much easier to bring your keys with you than return and find out something is gone," she said.
