After suffering estimated losses of $6,000 worth of electronics, clothes and food during the Thanksgiving break, ground floor residents of Andrew Hugine Jr. Suites were hit again on Dec. 10. This was the fourth time in the fall 2008 semester that vandals penetrated their suite.

South Carolina State's campus police were already investigating a string of burglaries at the Andrew Hugine Jr. Suites and the University Village apartments that occurred during the Thanksgiving break. At that time a total of 12 burglaries had been recorded by campus police officials and other complaints were being filed.

In the latest incident, the students reported leaving for the popular Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. "Blackout" party at 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 10, and returning at 12:30 a.m., only to find one of the resident's textbooks and i-pod missing. This time the residents saw no no signs of forced entry into the suit.

The Collegian

Harris

"It's a shame when I can't even leave my room locked and come back to find my belongings."

The Collegian viewed live law enforcement surveillance feeds for Hugine Suites which revealed two startling facts. First, the hallways leading to the suites are not filmed and second, it is difficult, even during the daytime, to identify persons.

Campus Police Chief Gregory C. Harris said that the 50 cameras at SC State only cover 30 percent of the campus and there is always a need for more. He said, however, that the tapes have assisted in the capture of an armed robber at Benjamin Mays Hall this semester. In the Mays surveillance feed shown to The Collegian, Harris pointed out that it is easier to identify faces.

Harris said the number of cameras on campus cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and are not likely to be increased because of state budget constraints. He also said that with the state of the economy, theft has become the number one crime in the city and on college campuses across the country.

"If people are willing to take more measures to steal," he said "we should take more measures to safeguard our belongings, and at least get insurance."

According to Harris, an additional 50 cameras will give S.C. State 50 percent coverage and 250-300 cameras will cover the entire campus.

The student's books were left on the bottom of her bookshelf, but Harris says this is not good enough. He said even putting items in closets or under your bed is not good enough and again stressed the need for students to get insurance and report every crime as it happens.

"If we don't know about it, we can't investigate it," said Harris. He explained that these kinds of issues are not always perpetrated by outsiders. "It can be a roommate issue, a neighbor issue or a boyfriend and girlfriend issue. If not reported, we [campus police] are left helpless."

Dervedia Thomas is editor in chief of The Collegian, the South Carolina State University student newspaper, which originally published this article.