The Department of Public Safety’s new efforts to fight larceny have gone too far.
DPS officers have been confiscating unattended belongings in libraries on campus after anywhere from five to 15 minutes. No one seems to agree on just how long to wait until teaching some undergrad a lesson.
Nannying and scaring students is not the way to teach them to lock up their laptops and keep their cellphones on them.
Undoubtedly, it must be frustrating for the department to see so many easily preventable instances of theft in the library.
Yet it is not the responsibility of DPS to teach students lessons through such a paternalistic, unnecessary policy that treats students like children.
As college-aged adults, students know the risk of leaving laptops unguarded, and they only have themselves to blame if their electronics are stolen while they’re not watching.
With the various posters imploring students to never leave their belongings unattended, students have no cause to plead ignorance.
The department’s goal of preventing larceny on campus is appreciated, but rather than enacting paternalistic practices, it should let students take the risks they are knowingly and willingly taking.
