A string of winter jacket thefts has surfaced at Boston University in recent months, especially involving Canada Goose coats.
Eighteen winter jackets have been reported stolen on campus since September, according to a Feb. 11 article published by BU Today. Eight of the reported thefts were of Canada Goose jackets, popular winter coats that retail for around $1,000.
More than half of the missing winter jackets were taken from lockers in the university’s Fitness and Recreation Center, where many students neglect to secure their belongings, according to BU Today.
In order to prevent further incidents, FitRec Executive Director Tim Moore said he urges FitRec users to protect their valuables by securing them in a locked locker.
FitRec allows yearlong locker rentals, Moore said, along with free lockers that can be used with a personal lock or a lock checked out from the center’s Pro Shop with a BU ID.
Moore said he also asks students to report to FitRec staff if they see any suspicious behavior, such as people prowling around the lockers or opening several lockers.
The BU Police Department has reported larceny of Canada Goose and other expensive jackets during the winter season for several years, posting an image on their website in December 2017 warning students, “Don’t get your goose plucked.”
Thalia Costopoulos, a junior in the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, said she once saw at least five Canada Goose jackets openly hanging on the coat rack in the women’s locker room of FitRec.
“I am not surprised of these thefts,” she said. “I was shocked because I know their value, and I couldn’t believe they were unattended and unprotected.”
Costopoulos said college students wearing expensive clothing can provoke envy and resentment among others who cannot afford it. She said she believes students are more likely to respect their valuables if they were the ones who paid for them.
“When you work hard to earn something you want, you respect it and take care of it,” she said. “When somebody else has paid for your things, it has less value and you take it for granted.”
As a regular FitRec user, Richard Duncan, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said he doesn’t use a locker because he doesn’t feel the need to secure his jacket — which is not as expensive as a Canada Goose coat.
“My jacket isn’t valuable at all, so I felt somewhat comfortable putting it there,” he said.
Quynh Vu, a sophomore in the Questrom School of Business who owns a Canada Goose jacket, said she is protective of her coat and only leaves it when she is in an environment where she knows it will be safe.
“I only ever leave it alone when I’m with friends or in a crowded place like the library where it would be obvious if someone stole it,” Vu said. “And I only leave it alone if I’m going to do something really quick.”
CAS freshman Arisa Matsuo said she once considered buying a Canada Goose jacket but could not afford it. She said she believes the jackets are popular because of their high prices.
“I think the jackets are so popular not just because they have [a] nice silhouette, but also because it shows that you can afford to get one,” Matsuo said.
Ryan McCormack, a sophmore in the College of Communication, said clothing is one of the most recognizable representations of social class, so thieves may attempt to achieve a sense of security by stealing a status symbol they cannot afford.
“We are always comparing ourselves to people who are more affluent than we are,” he said.
Another Canada Goose owner, COM sophomore Yijie Pan, said she does not wear her expensive jacket to FitRec because she believes unattended valuables are easy targets for thieves.
“Leaving anything unattended is just risky,” Pan said, “even though BU is pretty safe.”
