Four separate Greek-letter organizations in University-owned townhouses reported a total of 21 thefts over winter break.
Alpha Phi, Delta Gamma, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Sigma Phi Epsilon, which all have townhouses on 23rd Street between F and G streets, reported stolen items such as TVs and laptops, an X-box 360, a stereo, jewelry, Northface jackets, designer purses and a passport. In total, 21 theft reports from Townhouse Row and one case from The Aston residence hall were filed with the University Police Department. University Police said they are investigating the thefts.
A Web cam in one of the rooms at the Alpha Phi house had the cords snapped, presumably to cover the thief’s tracts, said junior Julia King, president of the organization.
“We left our stuff in the custody of the University, and we’ve been ripped off,” King said.
All items reported missing were taken from individual rooms; none of the houses had property stolen from shared, common areas, the Greek-letter group leaders said.
All four houses require a valid GWorld to access the building, and each resident’s room has an individual key. According to King, none of the women in the Alpha Phi house had access to the building over break and students’ GWorld cards had been disabled.
Junior Emily O’Neill, president of Delta Gamma, said prior to leaving in mid-December for the month-long winter break, she requested that all residents close and lock their doors. O’Neill said members of the organization returned to find the doors to rooms wide open.
UPD Chief Dolores Stafford said some of the crime reports that students filed said that their rooms had been secured before leaving, while others said they had not. A few cases did include reports of a forceful break-in. Stafford also added in an e-mail that some students were still living in the units over break, so there was “student activity in the building.”
UPD is investigating the thefts and has posted a Crime Alert asking that anyone who remained in the units over break report any suspicious activity.
“We patrolled all of the residence halls throughout the break and the officers did not see anything suspicious happening in those units,” Stafford said.
“We are actively investigating these thefts and are leaving no stone un-turned in our attempt to develop leads in these cases. We believe someone living there may have seen something that they didn’t realize was suspicious at the time that they saw it,” Stafford wrote in an e-mail last week.
Though thefts on campus have occurred over the winter break period in previous years, none have taken place at Townhouse Row, according to UPD reportings dating back to January 2004.
The four chapter presidents all expressed similar concerns on behalf of their members.
“We are extremely disappointed that this happened,” O’Neill said. “Our house is a very special place where all members should feel welcome.”
Kristen Konopka, a sophomore and president of Kappa Kappa Gamma, said she is also eager to learn more about the reported break-in.
“We feel very nervous and disconcerted about the fact that someone had, and still has, access into our home,” she said.
Junior Rob Grant, president of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said he is calling on the University to reimburse students who had property stolen.
