The Missouri S&T Police Department is cautioning members of the campus community to lock and secure their residences, offices and vehicles following several burglaries on campus.
William Bleckman, director of the Missouri S&T Police Department, reports that eight burglaries have occurred at residences on campus since the beginning of the 2007-2008 academic year, three of which have occurred since the start of the spring semester.
“The majority of the burglaries we’re seeing are not the result of forceful entry,” Bleckman says. “Individuals are literally leaving the door open for these crimes. They are crimes of opportunity, and that makes them difficult to solve.”
Most recently, a room in Residential College II was burglarized on March 31, and an estimated $300 in video game equipment was stolen. During previous burglaries, driver’s licenses and credit cards have been stolen, which can possibly leave the victim open to identity theft.
In addition to the residential burglaries, the Missouri S&T Police Department also reports a string of thefts involving vehicles. Bleckman says eight vehicles have been broken into this semester, half of which were located in the parking lot of Thomas Jefferson Residence Hall at the time of the theft. Again, the majority of the vehicles that were broken into were not locked or secured.
“Lock your doors, and don’t put items of value in the passenger compartment of the vehicle where they can be seen,” Bleckman says. “Put valuables in the trunk or take them inside your residence.”
Bleckman adds the vehicle thefts are not unique to the Missouri S&T campus, and the Rolla Police Department also is reporting a recent rise in vehicle break-ins.
Bleckman asks that anyone witnessing a crime on campus contact the Missouri S&T Police Department with information at 574-341-4300.
