With midterms in full swing and library attendance peaking this week, unattended belongings could be at a higher risk for theft.
But if a trip to the bathroom results in a missing laptop, the Department of Public Safety could be the culprit.
The staff of Davis Library and the Undergraduate Library are teaming up with DPS to teach students the importance of keeping their possessions with them by temporarily confiscating unattended personal items.
Glenn Hayslett, assistant head of circulation for the UNC Libraries, said DPS officers wait about five minutes before confiscating unattended items and leaving behind a note informing students that their possessions have been taken.
In order to retrieve their belongings, students are directed to the circulation desk, where they must identify the missing object and provide photo identification. A DPS officer or a member of the library staff then talks to the students about the importance of keeping belongings secure.
This program has been going on for several years in an effort to reduce the occurrence of larceny on campus.
“For the past six or eight years, I would say thefts in the library have been down, and the library is a safer place for students to study,” Hayslett said. “One big reason for that is that public safety does more foot patrols in the building and has a more visible presence.”
The shock of seeing a personal item go missing would provide a wake-up call, said freshman Selena Quinteros.
Other students, however, said DPS’s program goes a step too far.
