PROTECTIVE SERVICES - John Ursch (362-3909)		January 24, 2007

THEFT: A short Story

Statistics show that theft from unlocked and unattended areas continues to be the Medical School’s most often experienced crime. Protective Services is tasked with the overall responsibility of reducing crime on campus. However, the faculty, staff and students who regularly attend the School of Medicine have a vital role to play.

Protective Services employs various means to help reduce the opportunity for crime at the School of Medicine. Foot, vehicle and bicycle patrols, digital surveillance systems, electronic access control and liaison with other local security and law enforcement agencies, all contribute to the strategic campaign against campus crime.

Every member of the campus community is part of the front line in the fight against theft. When a thief steals from a victim, the initial financial cost may or may not be extreme; however the fall-out could be long lasting. A case in point…

Recently an employee of the School of Medicine left a wallet in an unattended office area. The employee was out of the area for approximately 30 minutes. Upon returning, the employee noticed the wallet and contents were missing. A quick check of the area confirmed the employee’s worst fears; her property had been stolen. And so begins the employee’s trials towards returning to normal…

• The victim called 2-HELP. Protective Services dispatched an officer to the scene to receive the report and initiate an investigation to identify possible suspects.
• St. Louis Municipal Police had to be notified directly by the victim (only an owner can make a theft report.) The City Police took the report over the phone. No City officer responded to the crime scene. No City Police investigation was initiated.
• Credit cards were stolen along with the wallet. This required several phone calls to various credit card companies, by the victim.
• Blank personal checks were also in the wallet. The bank had to be contacted; The bank asked the victim for the check numbers(?!)
• The victim’s driver license was in the wallet along with a social security card. Two more entities to be notified. Replacements cards had to be requested. A trip to the motor vehicle bureau was required.
• Within a short time, banks and credit card companies had called the victim. The credit cards and personal checks were used in the City and several municipalities in St. Louis County. For other law enforcement officials to get involved, each jurisdiction in which the credit cards and checks were used had to be formally notified, by the victim. More phone calls…
• And it’s not over yet…the possibility exists that many on-line accounts could be established for the purchase of large-dollar items. After all, the victim’s name, address, date of birth and social security number, credit and banking information are all available to the thief, or worse to yet another party. At a minimum, the victim should contact the three major credit reporting bureaus.

Experience has shown that the thief may not always be the individual who utilizes the credit cards and checks. In many instances one thief will share or trade with a fellow criminal. Some criminals are not experienced with forgery or simply do not wish to pass a stolen credit card. This trade expands the “fall-out” even further. The information can be passed on multiple times.

This is only one story related to a theft that occurred on the Medical School campus. Unfortunately, the scenario above has been, and will continue to be, repeated many times over.

Take the time to secure your property. Report suspicious persons. REDUCING THE RISK OF BECOMING A THEFT VICTIM BEGINS WITH YOU!

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