By Lucy Hubbard
Students are expressing concerns after a recent theft in the microbiology building revealed crucial gaps in campus security.
On the afternoon of Sept. 27, junior public health science major Amber Stewart arrived early to her lab and attempted to secure her belongings before heading into the classroom. After completing her lab, however, she returned to an empty locker. Someone had picked the lock and stolen her laptop, keys, headset and backpack.
Upon consulting with her professor, Stewart learned that incidents of theft like this are all too common.
“[My professor] was like, yeah this is a common thing that happens like every semester — if not multiple times a semester,” Stewart said. “Because either people don’t put locks on their locker or people get their stuff stolen because of lock picking.”
According to Stewart, most science buildings on campus have lockers inside the classrooms. But the Microbiology building’s lockers, where students are required to leave their personal belongings during class for safety reasons, are located in the hallway. Lab periods tend to last two to three hours, meaning student’s belongings are often left out of sight for long periods of time.
Additionally, Stewart said, there are no cameras inside that hallway or on the exterior of the microbiology building.
“You’re moving your stuff around and people could come into that hallway,” Stewart said. “And no one would know because everyone’s in lab and there’s no cameras.”
Because UMD is a public institution, the microbiology building — like many other buildings on campus — is also open to the community during daytime hours.
University of Maryland Police spokesperson Sgt. Rosanne Hoaas said that the number of valuable items left unattended on campus creates a “target rich environment” where thieves can easily operate under-the-radar. According to UMPD’s Uniform Crime Report, there have been 95 reports of theft since January 2022.
Some students, like junior public health science major Nicole Ssentongo, said that they no longer feel comfortable leaving their belongings in the microbiology building.
“I actually just started going home and coming to the building without any of my belongings,” Ssentongo said. “It’s very inconvenient and exhausting, because I have to almost run to be able to go to my second class.”
For students who have no choice but to store their belongings in the building’s lockers, Hoass recommended investing in a new lock and double checking that it is secure before entering the classroom.
“If something has happened to your property, please call us the moment you notice so that we can begin an investigation,” she said.
Meanwhile, Stewart has called on the university to invest in more cameras — especially in areas where students are encouraged to secure their belongings.
“I’m upset with the person who picked my lock, but I think [the university] allowed someone to feel bold enough to do it in that building,” Stewart said. “I feel scared and sad for anyone else that might get their stuff messed with because they don’t have [another] option.”
Featured image: The exterior of the microbiology building, where junior public health science major Amber Stewart became a victim of theft last month, is not equipped with security cameras. Photo by Lucy Hubbard.