A flute thief has possibly been roaming Boston streets for weeks, after a man stole an expensive flute from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts on Aug. 29, according to BU Police Department Officer Peter Shin.
The flute, valued at $14,000, was stolen from an unlocked practice room that afternoon, Shin said. This incident is consistent with theft-laden crime trends that have long plagued BU’s campus.
Shin said that this incident is only one of numerous reports of on-campus theft — BUPD has received 327 reports these past 12 months alone.
However, the culprit’s identity remains unknown. Boston Magazine reported the suspect to be “a shiny-domed man of medium height and small build in a white T-shirt and wearing a black backpack.” Photos of the thief are on MassMostWanted’s website.
“Most of the incidents are the responsibility of people themselves, who leave their personal valuables unlocked,” said Shin, who is a crime analysis and statistics officer.
He added that BUPD is constantly advising students to keep personal belongings, including phones and laptops, near them at all times.
“We cannot do anything to protect their valuables if [students] don’t watch their valuables carefully,” Shin said. He advised students to keep anything of value locked.
In the meantime, BUPD is continuing its search for the thief who remains at large.
Some CFA professors said they don’t think their school’s security is an issue.
Professor Ed Barker said he’s never had a problem with theft.
“[The security in CFA] seems to be as good as any place that I’ve seen,” he said.
Professor Chris Dempsey said given BU’s urban setting, people need to be more cognizant of their belongings’ whereabouts.
“From my understanding, the flute was left unattended. That changes a whole lot of things,” he said. “Any time you leave valuables unattended, whether it’s a laptop in the library, for example, you’re putting matters into your own hands.”
In response to the flute theft, several CFA students attested to the importance of staying on top of their valuables.
Shan Wan, a junior studying piano performance, said she is not worried about the safety of her instrument as much as her electronic valuables.
“We have to lock our personal stuff up carefully in case our phone or computer [is] stolen,” Wan said. “This is the first time that I heard about the theft in CFA, which does bother me.”
Freshman Jason Cooper said he’s worried about the security of CFA having heard about the flute theft.
“I know the expensive price of a high-quality flute,” Cooper said. “That is definitely school’s responsibility to increase the security on campus.”
Meanwhile, Joseph Scagliotta, a junior studying graphic design, noted the repeated theft of other valuable items, including Canada Goose jackets, as indicative of a problem on campus.
“I never trust in the security of BU campus,” Scagliotta said. “I really hope BU police can raise their awareness of theft problem and increase the security immediately.”
Noor Adatia contributed to the reporting of this story.
