Two bags, a cellphone, keys and a Terrier Card were stolen from the Fitness and Recreation Center last week, adding to the number of items swiped from the Boston University gym this month.
There have been four reported thefts at FitRec in September, but thefts at BU have decreased by about 80 percent, according to the BU Police Department.
On Sept. 18, a backpack and a handbag were stolen from a storage area next to the FitRec Healthy Blends Café, said BUPD spokesman Sgt. Jack St. Hilaire. The next day, a student’s accessories and ID were stolen after he left them in a public, unlocked cubby on the first floor while he was on the basketball courts, St. Hilaire said.
Police believe all the items were taken by the same suspect and has a few leads, St. Hilaire said. One possible suspect is an older, heavyset Hispanic male who wore casual clothing and carried a backpack, he said.
“He didn’t look like a BU employee or a BU student,” St. Hilaire said. “He looked like a person who really didn’t belong there.”
The suspect entered FitRec from the exit gate Tuesday evening while front-desk staff were busy, said BU spokesman Colin Riley. Students reported stolen bags at 7:30 p.m. and at 9 p.m. that day, he said.
At the end of last semester, BUPD began looking for “hot spots” for crime in addition to other patrolling changes, including splitting the campus into three areas with sub-zones.
The thefts at FitRec occurred less than a month after FitRec set a new policy allowing students who forget their Terrier Cards to enter the gym without consequences one time each semester.
“We have kind of a free-pass system,” said FitRec Director Warren Dexter. “We’re very interested in having everyone who’s a full-time BU student get into the facility when they want to get into the facility.”
The change came after student suggestions and conversations with Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, Dexter said.
“This isn’t anything earth-shattering,” Dexter said. “In case somebody does [forget], we have kind of an unwritten policy. We want to make sure everyone feels safe, but we’re also trying to find ways we can be accommodating.”
FitRec has considered using hand-scanning technology to allow students into the gym, eliminating the need for Terrier Cards, Dexter said.
“We’ve looked for this type of stuff,” he said. “That’s probably the kind of technology that if the university went to a different system of recognizing its students, we’d get it.
“There are schools using hand technology,” he said, “[but] it probably won’t happen anytime soon [at BU].”
People who steal property often carry backpacks to look less conspicuous and to conceal stolen property, St. Hilaire said.
“I’d like to remind students, faculty and staff to secure personal property and report anyone who looks suspicious,” he said.
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