Of all the crime that happens on campus (which is shockingly little) the most rampant is larceny. Larceny, as you likely already know, is a theft of personal property (ie, a computer, laptop, wallet…). Anything that can fit into a backpack can be stolen, and, if left unattended, will be stolen.

Although the weekly blotter reports the crime on campus, it typically overlooks the most common report: student reports missing cell phone or wallet or backpack. If the blotter included ALL of these, it would take up much more than a column.

The nice thing about our campus’s rampant theft (if there is a bright side) is that other crimes are not nearly so common. It is much rarer to read about a tussle or even a fender bender in a parking lot.

That said, larceny can be easily avoided. Keep track of your things at all times. Even if you’ll just be gone for 3 minutes to use the bathroom, take your things with you or leave them in the care of a friend.

Do not leave computers unattended. These are valuable devices. A MacBook sitting unattended at a library desk is screaming to be stolen.

Such violations are called “crimes of opportunity” – so stop giving thieves the opportunity.