The Department of Public Safety is currently conducting an investigation in response to the four thefts that occurred in the Usen Castle last week, according to Director of Public Safety Ed Callahan.Callahan said in an interview with the Justice that the Department of Public Safety had interacted with residents of the Castle in an effort to "determine who perpetrated these incidents."

Callahan declined to provide specific information that the students had provided regarding the investigation but said that Public Safety was careful to look into students' reports.

"We can't release that information because it's part of the investigation, but sometimes students will . relay their observations and what they've heard or what they've seen, which most times is valuable, so we follow up on those leads," he said.

Callahan said in an Oct. 4 interview with the Justice that the thefts in the Castle occurred Oct. 3 between 3 and 8 a.m. Four students then filed reports that possessions had been stolen from their room while a fifth student had claimed seeing the suspect, who had been described as a 5 foot, 10 inch male wearing a dark knit cap and a gray hooded sweatshirt.

Callahan said that Allison Leventhal, the community development coordinator for the Castle and Rosenthal Quad, had coordinated a meeting for residents of the Castle to interact with Public Safety officials.

In an interview with the Justice, Leventhal said that she had hosted the meeting last Tuesday to provide a forum for students to voice concern after the incident, but she also said that it was a good way for students to become acquainted with Public Safety.

"I think some students are intimidated to go down to the police station for whatever reason, so we wanted to bring them out into the hall," she explained.

Harrison Goldspiel '13, a resident of the castle who had possessions stolen, said in an interview with the Justice that he found the meeting a helpful way for the Castle community to convene after the thefts.

"One of the main things about the meeting was stressing that we're a community, and that we need to work with each other to feel safe, and I think that was good," said Goldspiel, further explaining that many Castle residents did not feel like a community after the incident.

Leventhal said that since the incidents occurred, she has encouraged students to lock their doors and report any suspicious activity. She additionally said that she encourages students to ensure that the doors are not propped open because "that is one easy entry point for anyone to get into the building that doesn't belong."

Callahan also emphasized the necessity for students to lock their doors, explaining, "Obviously we live in a very trusting community, but the bottom line is people should secure their belongings and lock their doors."

Callahan said that in an additional effort to enhance safety precautions, Public Safety provided extra patrol officers throughout the weekend and was working with the Office of Facilities Services to install local alarms on the fire escape doors to deter students from leaving the doors propped open. He also said he had spoken with Student Union President Daniel Acheampong '11 about this matter.

In an interview with the Justice, Acheampong stressed the Union's coordination with Public Safety to prevent these types of incidents from occurring.

"We know that this is a safe community, so when these incidents happen we have to address it and make sure it doesn't happen again," he said.

"I think we're a very safe campus, but again, it's as safe as everyone makes it. So you have to report things to the police you have to be proactive with your own safety and the safety of your belongings," said Callahan.





-Brian Fromm contributed

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