Hutch locker room plagued by thefts

An open door could be partially to blame for a rash of thefts in the Hutchinson Gymnasium, Assistant Director of Recreation John Hamerick said yesterday. The door in question connects Hutch to the Palestra. Hamerick said the situation is "extremely bad," adding that recently there have been five to 10 locker burglaries a week. He said the thieves are avoiding Hutch's main entrance, which is monitored by security guards. Instead, it appears the thieves are gaining access via unguarded Palestra doors and also through Hutch's side doors. "The problem is that [the thieves] are getting in through the Palestra," Hamerick said. "[Closing the connecting door] will not alleviate the problem, but it will deter it substantially. "There are numerous doors where people can let other people in," he added. "But to have a free access is another situation." University Police Detective Gary Heller said the Division of Public Safety has advised the Athletic Department that they should close the door attaching the Palestra to Hutch. He said the door is one of the entry points for the thieves. And last month two suspicious males were seen in the Hutch locker room carrying what appeared to be a bolt cutter, according to University Police Lieutenant Susan Holmes. The two males then fled the locker room and exited Hutch through the unsecured door leading to the Palestra, Holmes said. A wallet and a lock were later found missing. Currently, the connecting door is kept open for the convenience of athletes and recreational joggers, Hamerick said. But the price of convenience has been rather high for those victimized by the thieves. Hamerick said the thieves typically look for credit cards and quickly ring up significant charges before the owner notices the cards are stolen. "They are using these credit cards within a half hour of stealing them," he said. "The number one rule is don't bring valuables to the gym. All you need is your ID and your workout clothes." Hamerick added that the thieves are especially difficult to catch, because after cutting the locks they replace them with new ones. This strategy, he said, gives the appearance that the thieves are legitimately using the locker room. And the lockers affected in the crime spree have been the "transient lockers," Hamerick said. These lockers are available for temporary usage and require the user to bring a padlock. He said the year-round rental lockers have not been broken into because they have combination locks.