Persistent crimes have prompted library officials to implement new security initiatives. Despite signs warning students and patrons to guard their belongings closely, persistent instances of theft have prompted University officials to take steps to improve security at several campus libraries. Van Pelt Library users have reported approximately 30 thefts to University Police since September 1, with backpacks, wallets and credit cards among the most frequently stolen items. Operational Services Manager Charles Jenkins said Van Pelt hired an additional security guard last fall after a female student was assaulted on the facility's third floor. The roving guard supplements the two employees guarding the library's entrance and exit. Noting that three emergency telephones were installed after the September incident, Administration and Finance Director John Keane said University Police officers periodically check the building. He added that security guards and library employees warn students who leave their property unattended. Health Sciences Libraries Director Valerie Pena, who oversees the Biomedical Library which is also a site of frequent thefts, hired a Spectaguard employee to patrol the facility. University-employed Spectaguards also make hourly rounds through the Johnson Pavilion facility during daytime hours Monday through Friday. "As far as I'm concerned personally, this is an unfunded mandate," Pena said. "I had to [fund the additional guard] by making hard trade-offs and leaving other positions unfilled." Pena added that she will attempt to secure funds in next year's budget specifically allocated for a security guard. Library officials explained that many of the Van Pelt crimes could be attributed to students feeling safe in the facility -- and consequently leaving their belongings unattended. "When you spend long hours in a place, you tend to get comfortable in that place," Jenkins said, adding that freshmen tend to be the most prone to thefts. Officials added that the library's being open to the general public during the week may contribute to security problems at the facility. Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush said a thief might stake out a student who brings a large drink with him or her -- because that student will be certain to use the bathroom and leave his or her belongings unattended. "Most people think, 'I'm in the library, I'm safe'," Rush said, noting that students are particularly vulnerable when they leave their wallets in their backpacks' front pockets. Keane explained that "most crimes that take place in the library are thefts of opportunity," adding that students sometimes leave their wallets unattended in open view. Despite the recent thefts, several students studying in Van Pelt yesterday said they generally feel safe in the library, although they are wary of leaving their belongings unattended. Wharton sophomore Joon Lee said he occasionally leaves his books in a carrel but carries valuables -- such as a personal cassette player -- with him. "Normally, nothing ever happens," said Lee, who has never been a theft victim. "I would think it's pretty easy to steal something."
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