Unidentified thieves stole two laptops from Urban’s student center in September, prompting a swift response from administrators and students.
According to Charlotte Worsley, dean of student life, the laptops were stolen between the hours of 2:40 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. on Sept. 1 and Sept. 10, during the first two weeks of school.
As of press time, the laptops had not been found. According to Urban school policy, students who lose laptops must pay to replace stolen laptops, for “Unattended and unlocked equipment, if stolen – even at school – will be the student’s responsibility.”
Worsley investigated the thefts immediately. “(I) interviewed the students who have had their laptops taken and all the students who were around, and I have gotten no leads,” She said.
Urban does not have a way of tracking its computers. Susan Munn, director of finance and operations, says “its hard to track” computers if a thief tries to sell them electronically. “You can have the same model number of a laptop up for sale, and you don’t know necessarily if it’s the schools,” says Munn.
According to Munn, “we used to put a tracking software on the computers, but it just was not that successful.” In light of the recent thefts, Munn says Urban considered putting the software back on computers, but was deterred because the tracking system is costly.
With no leads on recovering the stolen hardware, Urban is focusing on preventing another theft.
“What we are doing is putting various staff members in the hallways at the end of the school day in order to put an adult presence in the areas where we have had stolen laptops,” Munn said.
In an email to students, Worsley told students that they will face consequences if they’re lax about their laptops: “If you leave your laptop or backpack with laptop unattended, it will be taken by a faculty member or administrator and stored safely in an office.”
No laptops have been stolen since Sept. 10, when the second laptop was stolen and the school stepped up security.
Students appreciate the reaction but wish it wasn’t necessary. “The administration’s tough response makes sense,” Maya Herbsman (’13) says, “but there is a lack of trust. I miss being able to leave my backpack around.”
“I think the administration’s response has been effective,” says Kendra Bradanini (’12), adding, “it’s creepy that the staff is actually taking people’s stuff.”
For older students, the recent thefts bring back memories of the thefts of three laptops, which occurred during the 2007-2008 school year. According to Howard Levin, director of technology, those laptops were never found.
“As a freshman, it was a little strange that laptops were actually being taken,” recalled Frankie Svidler (’11). “It made the school a little on edge.”
Munn believes that the current thefts are “unrelated” to the ones that occurred three years ago.
However, she added that “I suspect it is a student” who is to blame for the most recent incidents, and shared students’ sense of disappointment.
“We want to live in a community where we can trust everybody,” says Munn, “so (these thefts) are discouraging for the adults and students as well”