Police warn of risks to students' laptops
LOCAL POLICE have issued a new set of warnings to students following a number of laptop thefts across the University. Detectives have urged students to take better care of their machines amid fears that lax security measures are making it easy for thieves to make off with expensive equipment. Police say it is imperative that laptops are not left near unlocked windows where criminals can simply reach inside and pinch them.
Victims of the latest spate of robberies have included the Prince of Bhutan, who is currently studying at St Peters, and a large number of undergraduates living both in college rooms and private accommodation. Jigyel Wangchuck, a first year History and Politics student and in line to the throne of the tiny state of Bhutan, had over £1,500 worth of equipment stolen after a thief removed a laptop from a study table by the window.
“I forgot to lock the door so it's partly my own fault, Wangchuck admitted to The Oxford Student. Detective Sergeant Vince Gilio of Oxford police burglary team said the number of offences has been on the increase in recent weeks. He warned: “Students are placing their desks close to windows and leaving very expensive laptops there. They are a target for thieves who are finding it very easy to simply reach in and take them.
A laptop was taken in Winchester Road at around midnight last Sunday by a passer- by who simply opened the window. In yet another robbery the next day, a laptop was stolen from a Worcester College student room in Walton Street. Thames Valley Police have advised students to keep back up files of their work so that all is not lost if their laptop is stolen. Students should also consider drawing their curtains or leaving their machines in drawers.
24th Feb 2005