MICHIGAN COMPUTERS STOLEN FROM OFF UNIVERSITY CAMPUS FACILITIESThe Michigan Daily -- 114 Years of Editorial Freedom - Burglars strike homes near campus on weekendBurglars strike homes near campus on weekend

By Laura Van Hyfte, Daily Staff Reporter
February 22, 2005

A series of burglaries occurred this weekend at several student homes neighboring campus, resulting in the pilfering of laptop computers, iPods and other valuables. The break-ins occurred on South Division Street, East University Avenue, Prospect Street and the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house on State Street.

A crime analyst at the Ann Arbor Police Department will investigate all of the burglaries tomorrow to determine whether they are connected, said AAPD Lt. Mark Hoornstra, adding that it was not possible to know yet if they were related.

Sigma Phi Epsilon had an estimated $2,500 worth of valuables taken, said Sig Ep President Scott Cohen, who filed the report with AAPD. Cohen reported that a digital cable box, a DJ mixing box, one composite of fraternity photos and assorted other items had been taken sometime Sunday morning.

“The fraternity composite alone costs roughly $2,000,” Cohen said.

A majority of the items were stolen from the main floor and belonged to the chapter. Cohen said he filed the report primarily for insurance purposes. No items, to the fraternity’s knowledge, were stolen from any other floor.

“To my recollection and my history here, this has never happened before. Sometimes people may steal composites just for a joke, and it doesn’t bother me, but this definitely wasn’t just a prank. This was a serious robbery,” Cohen said, adding that he did not know why someone would steal a fraternity composite.

“The composite was locked in a glass case that was built into the wall. They literally ripped it out of the wall. … We don’t believe that we will be getting it back,” he said.

Hoornstra said students’ homes are often broken into because they are not careful or aware of the danger of burglary. It is not unheard of for a burglar to enter a home, and upon confrontation by an inhabitant, declare that they know one of the residents, Hoornstra added.

“We have a number of incidents of when a burglar may say ‘Oh — I’m looking for John,’ and an unsuspecting kid could reply, ‘John doesn’t live here’ — unaware that they were just being robbed. Then the burglar could turn around and walk out without anybody knowing what he was up to,” Hoornstra said.

“If stuff like this happens, we need to be contacted right away,” Hoornstra added.

The densely populated student residential areas can easily be patrolled by predators who walk around at night going door to door, checking to see which homes could be robbed, Hoornstra said.

“If they are walking around at night and see an open door or see something valuable in a window, they will just reach in and take it,” he said.

Cohen said he believes the perpetrator entered the fraternity house through a door that was accidentally left unlocked.

Hoornstra explained that students are often naïve in recognizing risks such as unlocked doors or unsecured windows.

“Students are just not as conscious of being victims in a crime,” he added