A number of thefts in Houston Hall last semester, as well as several this past weekend, have prompted University Police to pursue educational prevention tactics for Penn students who visit the building.
During inspections of both the downstairs dining area and the the upstairs study areas, security has observed several individuals unaffiliated with the University wandering throughout the building.
Upon sending a fully dressed officer into the Houston Hall study area, police noted that several of these individuals carefully exited the building, hoping to leave undetected.
Detective Supervisor Frank DeMeo considers this is a problem that must be addressed.
"They are in there and they are looking for things to steal," DeMeo said. "The question now is how to fix this."
The answer, according to police, might be as simple as posting reminder signs around the building's interior and encouraging students to keep an eye on their personal belongings, even though the building's cozy rooms may appear to be secure.
Police hope that the signs will not only deter students from careless behavior, but will also serve as a warning for potential thieves.
In seven separate instances between September and December, various personal items -- among them wallets, handbags, cell phones and school bags --were stolen from students and staff who left these belongings unattended.
This past weekend, two more thefts occurred.
On Friday, Jan. 11, a wallet was taken from a female student's handbag while she was in the building. The wallet was later recovered by security staff at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Ten dollars cash and several credit cards were taken before the wallet was abandoned.
On Saturday, Jan. 12, another female student reported her wallet taken from Houston Hall. Twenty dollars, as well as the wallet and its contents, were missing.
Armed robbers also made off with more than $8,000 from Houston Market in October.
These incidents are not necessarily anomalies. Campus theft occurs in varying amounts throughout the year. Police believe an awareness program implemented before the thefts get out of hand could prevent levels from skyrocketing in the future.
DeMeo views University intervention as more of an educational process than anything else and hopes to speed up the learning curve for protecting personal items.
Community Relations Officer Joe Fisher will be heading the educational effort and is currently working with Houston Hall staff to determine an exact course of action.
Despite mandatory PennCard identification during the evening and weekend hours, during the weekday there have been similar problems in Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, where it is also common for students to leave their belongings unattended while studying.
