Theft plagues computer labs

The Eaton and Mugar Computer Labs have reported a surge in theft from Apple computer stations this semester.

Information Technology Services Manager of Instructional Services Jeff Weiner said that though theft "has occurred on occasion since the opening of the lab," crime began increasing dramatically three weeks before Spring Break.

$150 in equipment has gone missing each week in the form of one keyboard and two mice, compared with one or two stolen over the course of previous semesters.

The Tufts University Police Department (TUPD) said the investigation was ongoing, and there were no suspects at the present time.

The mice and keyboard are each valued at fifty dollars a piece.

Lab administrators temporarily closed the affected machines until a replacement can be purchased. A sign on the placed the computer reads, "One of your fellow peers has stolen the mouse for this computer. Until they return it, this computer will not be useable."

Increased security measures in the lab are being contemplated to prevent future thefts. Weinstein said that if the problem persists Tufts IDs may soon be required to obtain a mouse from the front desk, the same procedure for borrowing Zip drives.

"We're also considering security cameras in the labs to prevent theft," Weiner said.

Until a decision is made to implement new security policies, Eaton employees have been asked to be as vigilant as possible for suspicious behavior.

"We've been told to try to be more aware, and as we walk around try to see if everything is alright, that everything is still there," sophomore employee Ilya Lozovsky said.

Sophomore employee Amiti Wolt said policing the lab is not entirely up to the student employees. "It's understood that we can't humanly watch everyone at once," he said. "It's not really our responsibility."

Senior employee Aaron Weinstein said users should police themselves. "It's a public lab, and people should respect the property," he said.