Oxford students targeted as colleges hit by spate of thefts
A spate of thefts has struck colleges across Oxford, leaving students without their valuables, and in some cases without vital work for their degree. A burglar broke into Caroline- Lucy Moran’s room at Hertford College on Sunday night, and escaped with her mobile phone and digital camera and a laptop containing her dissertation.
St Hugh’s student James Clowes was robbed on Tuesday afternoon, when a thief took his laptop from his second floor room in the college, and a Keble student’s computer was stolen after an outsider followed students into the college. Moran, who lives in college- owned accommodation in North Oxford, had been in a room next door chatting to her friends for about 20 minutes. She returned to find an intruder climbing through the window with her valuables.
The police were alerted and a helicopter was sent out to search for the offender, but he could not be found. Moran was asked to give a detailed description of the thief, and on Monday morning a forensics team dusted the room for fingerprints. “The college have been really understanding,” she said. “They gave us some extra security for the house. We already had good locks, but now they’ve secured the window which the burglar climbed through.
Moran’s family have decided to offer a £1,000 reward for the return of the laptop: “It’s invaluable because it had my dissertation work on, and I’m afraid it will be sold very cheaply and quickly… I had some of my work backed up, and I’ve spoken to all my tutors.” She has emailed JCRs across Oxford to ask for information, and on Monday appeared on BBC Oxford radio to ask the public to look out for the computer.
Hertford’s head porter, Steve Jameson, said, “these thefts happen because people leave their windows open. Students take away the security aspects of a building and make themselves liable. “One day someone will be attacked, it sounds bad but it’s out of their own stupidity. There will be a dangerous situation, and that scares me. That scares me to bits.” Another third year, James Clowes, also had his laptop stolen this week.
The Maths and Philosophy student’s computer was taken from his room in the St Hugh’s MGA building at 3:30pm. Clowes was in his friend’s room on the same corridor at the time, but had left his door unlocked. He returned to find his laptop gone. “I’ve lost all my essays for the last two years,” he said. “I’ll probably get hard copies back for most of them but it’s very annoying.
The MGA block was also subject to a petty theft last week, when money was taken from an undergraduate’s wallet in an unlocked room. JCR President Stephanie Charalambous said: “The JCR is very concerned. We’re in contact with the college administration to minimise any more incidents. “The nature of the site of St Hugh’s means that college accommodation is insecure at times…we’re working on increased security, CCTV cameras if appropriate.
We have to bear in mind this is the second theft where a door was left open, so it’s a bit of an issue of trust and the development of a community spirit.” “It’s the same as at every college,” said head porter Martin Wilks. “There’s a spate every now and then. We’re running regular patrols with the JCR Committee, looking out for people who fit the rough descriptions given to us by students and the police.
A Keble student also suffered a laptop theft on Friday afternoon, when a thief walked into his unlocked and unoccupied college room. Keble Bursar Roger Boden, said: “It appears that [the thief] ‘tailgated’ through a security door to gain access to the staircase. “Members of the College should always be alert to the risks of tailgating and should not admit others to secure areas unless they recognise them or establish their reason for being there.
He defended the role of the porters, saying that “people come in and out all the time for tutorials, visiting their friends and the general public. It’s impossible to vet everyone.” As a result of the theft a motion was passed at Keble’s JCR meeting on Sunday which mandated the JCR accommodation officer to request lockable doors on some corridors in a bid to increase security.
Boden, however, said: “Security has dramatically improved since 10 years ago…what’s the point of putting more lockable doors in place when ones that are already there are not locked?” Additionally, notices at Mansfield college warned students of a “security incident”, and told them to lock their doors. College authorities declined to comment.
3rd Nov 2005