Student homes burglarized over break

A string of robberies in student residences immediately off campus has recently attracted the attention of Saint Joseph's University's Office of Public Safety.

The incidents, believed by the owners of the burglarized homes to be linked, occurred over Thanksgiving break, when students had vacated their houses and apartments.

Chris Witsil, '13, a resident of 54^th Street in the Overbrook community, reported an estimated total of $1,350 in merchandise was taken from his home over the course of the break. 

"My roommate came back on Sunday [Nov. 27] and he pulled in the back of our house and noticed that the back door was pried open by a crowbar, and after that he went up and noticed that all of our TVs were gone," said Witsil. "The stereo that was downstairs was also missing, and my IPod was also taken."

Witsil's roommate notified the Philadelphia Police Department, who responded four hours later. Neither Witsil nor his roommates contacted the Office of Public Safety.

"First, a team came through and they checked everything out and made sure everything was alright, and then a forensics team came through and took fingerprints, but they realized that the thieves had used gloves, so there are no real prints that we can use to identify them," said Witsil.

Three other houses in the vicinity, each on 57^th Street, were also looted over the course of the break. These, however, were reported to Public Safety upon the occupants' return to campus.

According to John Henfey, director of Public Safety, burglaries on student residences are not uncommon during vacation periods, however, they have not occurred in such magnitude until recently.

"It's not an every break kind of a thing, and we haven't seen this recently," he said. "But because this happened during Thanksgiving break, and they were all in close proximity, a block or two away from each other, just off campus, that's a concern."

Public Safety is responding to the increase in crime over holiday vacation periods by adopting a security assessment program to determine whether student residences are equipped with the proper safety precautions.

"We want to make sure we're getting the information out there for students before we get into the longer semester break," said Henfey.

Joseph Kalin, Public Safety Investigator, who arrived at St. Joe's in August, first brought the program to the attention of Henfey. Kalin and other Public Safety officers will make themselves available to students and perform home security assessments upon request. 

"It's called target hardening," said Kalin. "It's the concept that if you can delay a burglar from getting into your residence, there is a better opportunity for him to move over to another residence that isn't as troubling for him."

Kalin also said security officers will directly contact students that have experienced a break-in, and follow up with the security assessment to prevent burglars from returning. The Office of Public Safety is willing to travel as far as Manayunk to provide assessment services to Saint Joseph's students living in that area.

Witsil said he wasn't aware of the home security assessment services, but plans on taking advantage of the program in the future.

"We're just about to install a new security system, as requested by our landlord, and I think that after that's all done, [the assessment program] will be a great thing to look into," he said.

Officers conducting the assessment will provide feedback to student residents upon completion of a security checklist. Kalin said that other universities in the area also offer similar services.

 "Obviously, some of the stuff the students will be able to do themselves," said Kalin. "Some of the other things would be letting the landlord know of existing problems. Something like an entry door that can be pushed through with very little force."

Kalin listed providing external lighting and reducing shrubbery that could act as cover for persons attempting to gain entry into a residence as simple precautions that can deter burglary.

 "You can have all the security features in the world, but if you don't use them, you're defeating the system," said Kalin. "So, when you leave your residence, are you locking your door?"