There were no witnesses to the theft of the laptop in Stearns. However, a student gave Campus Police a description of a male who had been loitering near the common room. With this information and the aid of the IT Department, Campus Police pinpointed a suspect and recovered the laptops.
“[The IT Department was] able to tell us the computers were online at specific times after the thefts,” explained Deputy Chief of Campus Police Edwin Zaniewski. “Although they were unable to pinpoint their exact location, they were able to tell us in which building the computers were being used. The rest was accomplished by investigative work done by officers. A description of a person seen loitering in Stearns around the time of one of the thefts also factored in.”
The IT Department declined to comment on the specifics of how they helped in the investigation so they could continue to employ the same methods to aid Campus Police in the future.
According to Campus Police, there have been 10 reports of laptop thefts since the beginning of this semester. In eight of these cases, the laptops were left unattended in locations such as Frost Library, the Valentine Hall coatroom and Keefe Campus Center. Only two other laptops have been recovered since last semester; in these cases, those responsible for the thefts were not students.
“I put my [laptop] computer on the desk right in front of the Technical Service Office and put my bag on top to hide it,” said one victim of theft who wished to remain anonymous. “I went to eat dinner around 5 p.m. and got back around 5:45 p.m. and my laptop was gone. I thought it was some kind of prank because my friends were there before I arrived.”
“I was sort of angry, but it was two or three days later when I got really depressed because I’d bought [the laptop] three months ago with a college loan,” he continued. “I thought it would be impossible to find my laptop.”
When asked whether he was now more cautious about security, the victim replied, “Definitely, I just started to lock my door.“
Campus Police, too, have stepped up their security measures following the theft. “Campus Police have posted notices warning people not to leave laptops unattended,” said Zaniewski. “Officers have also increased patrols on all levels of the library. They have had many conversations with students who left valuables unattended — even for short periods. As you know, we also post notice of thefts in the crime log in The Student to raise awareness.”
The theft victims did not wish to press criminal charges against the student responsible for the recent thefts. However, the Campus Police will file a charge against the student for the thefts with the Judicial Board at the Dean of Students Office. The Board will decide what disciplinary measures will be taken against the student.
More information on laptop security can be found at amherst.edu/offices/it/help/security/laptops.