A police investigation into the disappearance of equipment from the Crafts Center in Lewis Hall concluded last week when it was discovered that the University told contractors to throw out the equipment this summer while making renovations to the building.
At the end of August, the Center reported to the Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) that a table saw, belt sander, cordless power drill, sewing machine and several hand tools had been stolen. The Crafts Center estimated the equipment's value at more than $1,000.
TUPD's investigation made little progress as the missing items were not reported until several weeks after they disappeared. But the investigation could have been avoided entirely if the Office of Operations had been told of the missing items.
After reviewing the construction project details, for a summer renovation which was intended to improve the building's sprinkler system, Vice President of Operations John Roberto confirmed that items had been removed from the Crafts Center. He explained that the tools and equipment were cluttering the Crafts Center and violated several building codes, which would have prevented the violations prevented the contractor from obtaining approval from Medford building inspectors.
"[The contractor] made decisions to dispose of stuff so that they could get an occupancy permit," Roberto said. "When the contractor was in [the Crafts Center], they were instructed to clean the place out. They tried to contact students involved with the Crafts Center, but were unable to do so."
Andrew Sokol, a senior and the director of the Crafts Center said that no one he knew had received a message about the cleaning. The students involved in the Crafts Center only discovered the missing items when they returned to campus.
Before the miscommunication was revealed, the construction company agreed to reimburse the Crafts Center for the missing equipment, but did not admit to stealing it. Roberto clarified that it would be his office, and not the construction company, that will reimburse the center $700 for the equipment.
This figure did not meet the $1,000 value that the Crafts Center declared in August, but Sokol said it would replace most of the items lost. "We told him what we wanted and what we needed and that is what they offered us," he said.
Sokol explained that fortunately, students had moved several other pieces of equipment from the Crafts Center to the Crafts House last spring in anticipation of the construction work.
Located in the basement of Lewis Hall, the Crafts Center allows students to use University equipment to sew, sculpt, silk screen and build objects from wood. In the meantime, the Crafts Center has still been able to fulfill its role, but with less equipment and options than were previously available.
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