Crime statistics of the Boston University Charles River Campus provided by the BU Police Department suggested that larceny has increased in frequency since the beginning of the spring 2016 semester.
BUPD data indicated a slight increase in theft and a moderate decrease in the use of drugs, while the number of physical and online harassment cases remains stagnant, said BUPD Officer Peter Shin.
Shin, who oversees crime and analysis statistics, said though theft went down from 203 reported incidents between Sept. 1 2014 and Feb. 14, 2015 to 198 between Sept. 1, 2015 and Feb. 14, 2016, the frequency of crimes involving larceny has increased in the first seven weeks of 2016.
“[During the] weeks five and six, we doubled our larceny numbers from last year and then we went down a bit the last week,” Shin said. “We dropped from eight incidents reported to five [in the last week].”
In 2015, there were 18 reports of larcenies in the last two weeks of January and 15 reports in the first two weeks of February, Shin said. This year, there were 26 larcenies reported in the first two weeks of January and 19 more reports since then.
Shin said reports of marijuana use for the same time periods were steady. Last year, there were 26 incidents compared to the 20 reported this year. Shin did not report any data for physical and online harassment, but he said they are all independent incidents that vary in nature.
While each type of crime has a specific pattern, Shin said theft has been a constant issue because of the rise in unattended property on campus, especially at BU’s Fitness and Recreational Center.
“The thefts out of FitRec have definitely increased our numbers,” Shin said. “I think even going back to last year, last semester we’ve been having some issues with the jackets. Obviously now, its really kind of exploded.”
If students take the necessary precautions, the amount of theft on campus could decrease, Shin said.
“A good portion of these thefts are very preventable in terms of securing your property by using a lock given by FitRec for the lockers or taking your property with you when you’re some place else,” Shin said. “It’s a matter of taking the time to do that.”
Tim Moore, the executive director of FitRec, declined reports of FitRec being a major target for theft.
“We’re not seeing a whole lot,” Moore said. “Anybody that comes into FitRec, we try to make sure their stuff is safe.”
Moore said people have a choice in where they can store their belongings while they work out.
“We don’t advocate people to put their belongings in the cubbies and racks, but we’ve gotten requests from people for the cubbies and racks, so that’s why we have them,” Moore said. “We have thousands of lockers for people to put their stuff in. It’s up to them to take advantage of them.”
Several students said theft is an unfortunate part of campus life, and BU students, not just the police, are key components in addressing the rates of theft.
Alex Zbinovec, a sophomore in the College of General Studies, said it’s not surprising that theft happens so frequently on campus, and it’s simple for students to prevent incidents of theft.
“If you’re smart with your stuff, it won’t get stolen,” he said. “Obviously, it happens so often because people are so careless, [but] it’s different than other types of crime on campus because it’s so preventable.”
Zachary Edelstein, a sophomore in the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said there are certain jackets that are at high risk for being stolen at FitRec.
“In terms of theft, the ones [jackets] that are definitely most vulnerable are the ones that don’t fit within that vicinity or the confined space of lockers,” Edelstein said.
Periklis Sarakiniotis, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said despite the slight increase in theft, he appreciates BUPD’s efforts to help reduce all types of crime on campus.
“I’m definitely glad [BUPD] is addressing things like theft and any violence that occurs on campus,” Sarakiniotis said. “It’s always good to prevent and minimize that wherever possible, as well as deal with people who are taking those actions. I find that very noble.”
