In the past couple of semesters, there have been multiple thefts throughout the campus. In all instances, the thieves have never been identified.
The thefts reported range from a flat-screen TV and an Xbox 360 from the Activities Building to several motherboards and hard drives from several different buildings. Money was also stolen from a few students in the dorms.
The IUS Police are working to get security buffed up to help deter the thieves.
“We’re in the middle of installing more cameras all around campus,” Charlie Edelen, IUS police chief, said. “Currently, we have about 33, and once we get all of them installed, that number will have about doubled.”
Joe Glover, interim athletics director, said the TV and Xbox were located inside the basketball team’s locker room.
“It was used to show plays for games and to help build teamwork,” Glover said. “Since that theft, they have started installing more cameras to the building and locking mounts to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
Along with the doubling of cameras, they are also replacing a good amount of the analog cameras with digital ones in Knobview, the Ogle Center and a few other buildings.
One of the major security issues is stolen technological equipment, even though the IT Department has locks on most of the computers, TVs and any other electronic device. There are ways around those safeguards.
The dorms are one of the most secure from outside theft, due to having the UCard scanners at each door.
“We want to try [card scanners] with other buildings in the future, especially the new building when it is built down the road,” Edelen said. “We are working on putting cameras in the parking lot, as well. However, they are rather expensive. You have to have a power source and the cables ran out there. It’s not something that just happens overnight.”
With the cameras in the parking lot, theft could also be caught if the police saw someone suspicious in the parking lot.
Cameras could also help with hit-and-runs, enforcing the carpool parking area and any other crime that could be committed here.
“We’re always looking to make campus more secure and safer for the faculty, staff and students of IUS,” Edelen said.
By BRYAN JONES
Staff
jonesbry@umail.iu.edu