An epicenter for crime, right between the stacks

Van Pelt Library: A resource for studying, researching -and theft?

The Division of Public Safety revealed last week that it is currently conducting an investigation into a rising tide of unattended theft, with a focus on crimes occurring in Van Pelt, the main library on campus.

Ten cases of theft in Van Pelt have been reported to Penn Police since mid-September, and Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said 43 percent of total thefts overall since July have occurred after people had left their possessions unguarded.

"Unattended theft has gone skyrocketing," she said. "It has stood this year as being more problematic than normal."

DPS officials have continually said theft is often up during the fall semester because newer students unaccustomed to living in a city aren't as careful with their belongings.

Bryan Wilkinson, director of financial and administrative services at Van Pelt, said students mistakenly assume that they are immune to such problems in Van Pelt.

And though the figures have been high enough to concern DPS, the actual number of incidents likely surpasses any official police statistics.

Rosengarten Reserve employee and School of Arts and Sciences graduate student Hwayoung Cho estimated that in the past month and a half, about 20 different students have come to the desk during her shifts alone to report stolen items, including backpacks, wallets, credit cards, laptops and cell phones. Most of the students don't report the lost belongings to police, she said.

"I don't think I'd see a point in reporting a stolen object to Penn Police," College junior Erik Arnetz said. "Assuming that there's no camera surveillance, I don't really see what they would be able to do about it."

Wilkinson said officials have explored installing cameras in the stacks in the past but decided against it when the Undergraduate Assembly voiced concerns over a potential invasion of privacy.

UA chairman Jason Karsh said that he has not heard any such proposals in his four years with the organization, and that the UA would be open to talks with the library.

The protection of property and the safety of students" is one of the UA's biggest concerns, he said.

Wilkinson said thefts largely occur in the carrels located on the third through fifth floors. Their single-file arrangement constricts vision, allowing perpetrators to pilfer unattended carrels without being noticed.

Megan Keller, a second-year graduate student, said she had her wallet stolen from the carrels on the third floor when she stepped out only momentarily. More than $100 cash was stolen, and the empty wallet was discarded and later found in the stairwell between the third and fourth floors.

"I think everyone has a false sense of security in the library," she said, "I think people are not necessarily aware because you feel like your things are safe."

Unlike most university libraries, Van Pelt is open to the public during weekday work hours because it holds federal documents that the public must have equal access to, though DPS and library officials said non-students are not more likely to be suspects.

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