BY MATTHEW WEDDLETON // JAN. 31, 2016 //

Curry College Public Safety currently has 20 officers on its staff, but that hasn’t stopped thieves from breaking into dorm rooms across campus.

There were upwards of a dozen burglaries in Curry residence halls last semester. The most frequent targets were Bell Hall, Rose Hall, Suites, and 886.

According to the 2015 Curry College Safety and Security Report, there were a total of three burglaries all of last academic year. In the past three years, there have been a total nine thefts in dorm buildings on campus.

PHOTO BY puamelia // creative commons

As a result of the increased burglaries this year, Curry College Public Safety has increased patrols around campus.

“We’re doing more perimeter checks of the residence halls, especially of the ones on the perimeter,” said Brian Greeley, chief of Public Safety at Curry College. “We have officers walking through the residence halls all night long.”

While investigations are ongoing as to who is responsible for the thefts, Greely said he believes the person or people involved don’t attend the college.

Curry has three entrances, two that are open until 6 p.m. and one main gate located at the front of the school on the south side of campus. Despite being a private institution, Curry is largely open to the public.

“We are not a gated community,” said Greeley. “If you wanted to walk on campus, you can do it.”

Kelsey Tagen and Amanda Paul, both sophomore nursing students, had their dorm room broken into last semester. Among the items stolen from their room were a MacBook Air (estimated at $778), a Dell Inspiron laptop (estimated at $230), chargers, debit cards, and about $150 in cash.

Tagen, who lives on the first floor of 886, said her window was locked, but someone was still able to break in.

“I feel safe, however I do believe Public Safety should be patrolling more often behind the buildings to prevent these events from occurring again…not just managing the situations after they happen,” said Tagen.

Greeley said it is a good idea for students and faculty to write down their laptop serial numbers, as well as download the “Find My iPhone” app. Students can also apply for dorm insurance through the “Student Personal Property Plan” available with National Student Services Inc.

Greeley added that all campus residents—particularly those who live in first-floor rooms—are advised to keep their windows locked at all times and to not allow others to follow them into a residence hall without swiping their own identification card.