ULTRAVIRES.CA
February 29, 2024
VOL. 25 ISS. 5
Ultra Vires
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO FACULTY OF LAW
Students Face Wave of Locker Thefts
Locks seem to be no match for those who were determined enough SHELBY HOHMANN (2L) Just as U of T Law students were finally getting back into the swing of things after returning for the spring semester, students started reporting thefts at the law school. Several students had valuables taken from the school’s lockers. The alarm was first sounded when a post was made on the U of T Law Virtual Community Facebook group, advising members that thefts had occurred. The targeted lockers are located in the basement, largely away from the building’s staff and out of view of any cameras. The lockers near the kitchen and lounge area in Flavelle House appear to have been the primary targets. One student shared that they commonly stored their laptop in their locker while at school. One day, when they returned to their locker, they found it was open and discovered their laptop was missing. Their lock, which they stated was not of the best quality, appeared to have been jimmied open, not cut. Another student who reported having a hoodie taken from their locker shared a similar experience, stating the lock appeared to have been “opened as if the person knew the passcode.” These individuals reported the incidents but have not yet seen any response. Another student also reported being the victim of a theft earlier in the school year, around mid-October. They had left the law school around 5:30pm and had left their iPad and Macbook in a bag in their locker. Approximately two hours later, they returned, and the bag was still inside the locker, but the iPad and Macbook were gone. Strangely, the lock was still attached and looked “completely normal,” just as it had been left. This student reported the incident to the school, Campus Police, and the Toronto Police but has still not received any helpful response. On February 1st, Sara-Marni Hubbard sent out an email acknowledging the Faculty’s awareness of the recent locker break-ins and stated that Campus Police had been notified. The email further noted that the building is publicly accessible, and students should therefore take proactive measures to protect their belongings, such as purchasing a good quality lock. Whether students having better quality locks would have prevented the thefts effectively is impossible to know, but a quick Google search for “how to pick Dudley combination lock” yields a variety of results. Students are provided fobs for entry to school buildings at the outset of their studies, but they are primarily needed for entering Falconer Hall
(which, unless they are trying to get to the UV office, students don’t often need to do). Fobs were introduced in the wake of COVID to control access to buildings during the 2020-2021 school year. As the importance of controlling capacity diminished, evidently the use of fobs did as well. The doors are now unlocked from 7:30am until 7:00pm, but students have also reported instances of these hours not being followed. One student who was a victim of the thefts expressed concern that the main door was still unlocked at 7:20pm. The Faculty provided the following comments on the incidents: We want to acknowledge that these incidents can deeply affect how you feel about your safety and comfort here at the law school. We too are troubled by the recent break-ins and are making significant efforts to address the issue. The Faculty of Law in partnership with U of T's Campus Safety strives to provide a secure environment and as such, have added additional building patrols and will be implementing a bait locker program. We will continue to monitor the situation. In the meantime, we recommend that members of our community continue to employ the following theft prevention strategies: • Invest in a high-quality lock for your locker. • Consider leaving valuables that you don't need for the day at home. • Pay attention to your surroundings when accessing your locker, especially when depositing items into your locker. Report any suspicious activity to Campus Police or Building Patrollers. Please continue to report all incidents of theft to the University of Toronto Campus Safety at 416-9782323.
CREDIT: TAYLOR RODRIGUES
CREDIT: TAYLOR RODRIGUES
AS SEEN IN THESE IMAGES, SOME STUDENTS DID ALSO HAVE THEIR LOCKS CUT. CREDIT: TAYLOR RODRIGUES
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
THE DUDLEY LOCKS AVAILABLE FOR SALE IN THE LAW SCHOOL BOOKSTORE. CREDIT: SHELBY HOHMANN
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