Last week's incident involving a set of master keys that were stolen from a College police cruiser has prompted both Campus Police and Physical Plant to rethink their policies and procedures surrounding the distribution of master keys.

Two students discovered the keys in a Campus Police suggestion box located in the College mailroom four days after they went missing.

Although the keys were found and are not believed to have been duplicated, the whole incident has created some concern over the security of the master keys.

"I know that the Campus Police are in discussions right now to rethink the whole policy of master keys," said Dean of Students Ben Lieber. "Clearly there is a lot of concern about the incident and procedures will be taken to make sure it cannot happen again," he added.

Much of that concern is focused on the fact that, had the keys not been found, the cost of re-keying almost 7,000 locks on campus might have run as high as $210,000. The other prominent concern is the safety and security of all those on campus.

The keys were taken from the ignition of an unlocked police cruiser, but the officer responding to a fire alarm in Mayo-Smith House also had a set attached to his belt. The number of master keys available and their locations is something that the College is taking under serious consideration, according to Chief of Campus Police John Carter.

"We have already instituted changes in our policies to make sure this type of incident will not happen again," said Carter. "We have implemented tighter controls not only on police master keys, but also the ones possessed by Physical Plant personnel." Carter could not disclose specific details about the policies, the number of keys that will now be made available or their location on campus.