Crime Alert: Theft of Unattended Property On the Rise

Loyola Community,

Following up on our note from April 8, 2011, we are writing to warn the University community of the rise in thefts of unattended property on campus.

• On Wednesday, April 27, at 1:40 p.m., an unattended laptop computer was stolen from the first floor of Cudahy Library.

• On Thursday, April 28, at 2 p.m., an unattended laptop computer was stolen from the third floor of the Information Commons.

A witness to the theft on April 28 was able to provide the following description of the offender: a male between the ages of 20 and 25, short black hair, and facial hair (goatee or mustache). He is approximately 5’10” and 160 lbs. and was last seen wearing a light-weight grey jacket or shirt.

If you have any information related to this case, please contact Campus Safety immediately at 773.508.SAFE. We’ve also included a list of important safety tips below that we encourage you to review.

Safety Tips

• Never leave your property unattended, even for a matter of seconds. In many of the recent thefts, the computer was left unattended for less than a minute.
• If you need to leave your desk or area, bring your property with you.
• Do not ask anyone other than a person known to you to watch your property. If you do ask someone else to watch your property, move your property so that it is in front of them.
• Record the serial number, make and model, and any other identifying information about your electronic items. Keep this record in a safe place that is not saved on your computer.
• If you see anything suspicious, immediately notify a Library or Information Commons’ employee, or contact Campus Safety at 773.508.SAFE.
• Examples of suspicious behavior include the following: a person wandering around without an apparent reason; a person in the library who appears to be constantly scanning the area; a person who abruptly picks up a laptop from an area and walks away with it.

 

Sincerely,

Robert Fine
Director, Campus Safety