The Facts: This weekend, a robbery and an attempted robbery were reported at D.H . Hill Library. Between 2007-2010, theft has been the most reported crime at NCSU , with approximately 400 cases each year.
Our Opinion: We are all aware of the constant threat of theft on campus, but in most of our minds, the threat is not pronounced enough to take action. However, a little action, in terms of securing our belongings, can go a long way.
We have a relatively safe campus. Apart from robberies and larceny, which is defined as taking property without the owner’s consent and without the intention of returning it, there were only 74 crimes reported in 2008, 44 in 2009 and 61 in 2010. However, as reassuring as those figures are, the numbers for theft are concerning. Between 2007-2010, there were approximately 400 cases reported each year.
This weekend, there were two reports of theft at D.H . Hill Library. In one case, a suspect robbed a student of her book bag on the eighth floor. The girl ran down the suspect, who dropped it and ran off. A second student reported a similar incident in which their book bag was actually stolen from them. Neither student was able to identify the perpetrator.
In any incident where a criminal act is perpetrated, the majority of the blame must fall on the perpetrator. However, knowing certain acts like theft are constants on campus, the imperative is placed on students to take steps to protect their property.
As students, in the back of our minds we realize the dangers posed to our property in public. A bike left overnight in the Court of North Carolina makes one wonder if it will still be there in the morning. A five-minute break from class makes one wonder what they should take and keep safe with them. But the majority of the time, we’re not concerning ourselves with the security of our assets.
We too often let our guards down while working in public spaces like the library. We become engrossed in our work and lose focus of the threat to our property. This is when our valuables are most at risk and we must do a better job of guarding them.
We’re not insinuating you must always be contemplating who or how someone is going to steal your belongings. That’s unreasonable. The fact is we need to be able to let our guards down to work. We can’t worry about theft all the time. However, a couple of precautionary measures can go a long way toward securing your belongings.
In the case of a robbery, as seen this weekend, there’s not too much you can do to prevent it. In the case of larceny, there is a host of preventable measures to take.
Unattended valuables assist larceny, so the simple solution is to keep all of your belongings with you when you go anywhere or have someone you trust watch them. If you are going to leave out your belongings, lock them up. Finally, if something is stolen—report it. We can’t begin to fix a problem without knowing there is one.
On the most basic level, just remember people are out there who will steal from you. With a few precautions, you can make their purpose in life a lot more difficult to achieve.
