PENNSYLVANIA COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM PENN STATE UNIVERSITY 11 laptops, 2 radios stolen from site of new buildingBy Sarah Rothman
Collegian Staff Writer
About $36,000 of computer equipment was stolen over the weekend from a trailer at the construction site of the new business administration building across from East Halls, Penn State University Police said yesterday.

Eleven Dell laptops, two Motorola radios and one Sony Personal Digital Assistant were stolen from the construction trailer sometime between 4 p.m. Saturday and 8:15 a.m. Monday. Two of the Dell laptops were Latitude models, and nine were Inspiron models.

University police supervisor Dwight Smith said the perpetrator or perpetrators forced entry into the trailer and the fenced-in construction area.

Smith said university police are investigating the incident. He said police do not yet know how the perpetrator or perpetrators knew about the equipment in the trailer.

Office of Physical Plant (OPP) spokesman Paul Ruskin called the theft "distressing" and said thefts of this nature at construction sites are rare at Penn State.

Ruskin said most construction site thefts are on the "prank level" and usually consist of signs or other small items being stolen. "People usually respect the good work that our contractors are doing and recognize that these construction projects are there to improve our campus," he said.

Ruskin said he was not aware of any plans that OPP has to tighten security at the business administration building site or any other construction sites on campus.

He also said the theft will not hinder the progress at the business administration site.

Smith said anyone who is approached to buy a Dell computer at a lower than normal price or notices one available on the Internet at a discounted rate should contact university police.

He also asked anyone with information about the theft to contact university police at 863-1111.