Spate of thefts at James College spark concerns over security.
THREE SEPARATE instances of breaking and entering within the last fortnight have increased concerns over the state of security for students living in University accommodation. More than £2,000 worth of goods have been stolen from three adjacent blocks in James College.
Sam Hanna, a first year English student, left his room with music on and curtains closed while he spent the night away. On returning to his ground floor room the next day he discovered that the window had been kicked in, and his laptop stolen.
Police failed to discover any leads when the room was dusted for fingerprints. The bike shed opposite his room had also been forcefully broken into. A motorbike was stolen a week later, when another James bike shed was broken into in broad daylight. An examination of the scene revealed that the metal door had been cut through. The owner, Tom Adam, witnessed his vehicle being driven off. “They were young teenagers, around fifteen or sixteen. It all happened around lunchtime and I saw my bike driven off from my window.” Police have indicated that schools’ half-terms corresponded to the date of the theft.
Bike sheds appear to offer a wealth of opportunity with the sheer quantity of bikes and motorbikes housed in them. Security flaws have been exposed by the thieves, and emergency precautions have been put into place. The wire mesh by the door lock was cut and then the door was opened from the inside.
The continuity of these incidents clearly indicate that some thieves are not deterred by the current security measures in place around the college. Sergeant Dave Hopper, of North Yorkshire Police commented that “if someone wants it badly enough they’ll find a way.”
James college students have questioned whether the renovation of the area between the lake and the college has produced these undesirable effects. New ‘friendly’ chipbark paths have been laid, which are continually lit.
Yet whilst this makes the area safer for people to walk around at night, it also allows opportunists to see inside student rooms. However, Mick Watkins from Security Services explains, “the general consensus across the country is that lighting is a good thing from the crime prevention perspective.”
Hopper advises students to keep an eye out for anything suspicious and to remain vigilant in the protection of property, to minimise the risk of future thefts. Sam Hanna, who had his laptop stolen believes this is not enough.
“The answer isn’t in creating a sense of paranoia for students. The theft couldn’t have been prevented from a student perspective, which indicates a weakness in the system. The security services reacted accordingly and helpfully with the theft; however it is apparent that their prevention methods are not perfect.”
Asked to comment on what preventative measures were taken in the period between the two thefts, Watkins stated that campus security is constantly being re-evaluated.
Although Sam Hanna experienced a loss of over £1000, he pointed out that, “Although this kind of crime is a awful, I try to look at the positive side of things. What if I or my girlfriend had been asleep in my room when it all happened?”
He went on to comment, “we are lucky really that the situation wasn’t antagonised further.”
The reality of crime against students in 2004 (Home Office Report)
One third of students fell victim to crime during last year. This includes violent crimes, burglaries and fraud. 60% of these separate incidents were not reported to the police.
Theft, criminal damage and burglary accounted for seven in ten crimes found in the sample of students surveyed, proving to be more frequent than cases of violent assault, harassment and fraud.
Nearly 12% of students in private accommodation experienced a burglary compared with 5% of students who lived in university accommodation (including halls and individual houses), sparking fears over student safety off-campus.
