Visiting women's basketball teams usually only have to worryabout setting picks, rebounding and getting good shots, butprotecting their valuables in the locker room may become a newproblem.
The member of the Texas Christian University Lady Horned Frogsbasketball team were the victims of a robbery Saturday, Jan. 11,during their game against The University of Memphis LadyTigers.
At about 5:15 p.m. someone crept into the visiting TCU team'slocker room and stole an estimated $650, two cell phones, clothingand several credit cards, said Derek Myers, associate director of Uof M Police Services.
"It's an accessibility issue," Myers said.
As opposed to the men's locker room tucked away in The Pyramid,the locker rooms in the Elma Roane Field house are easilyaccessible to almost everyone.
"From a design standpoint, the locker rooms are much moreaccessible (than The Pyramid locker rooms)," Meyers said.
In September 2003, the Louisiana-Lafayette's women's volleyballteam was participating in The U of M Invitational Tournament whenitems, much like the ones taken from TCU, were stolen from theirdressing room.
After the incident in September, athletic officials took actionand placed a student worker at the entrance of the locker room todeter anyone from entering unnoticed.
No thefts have occurred since September until Jan. 11 when,according to police officers, a student worker was not at theentrance to the locker room.
"They (athletic officials) took appropriate action when they putsomeone there, and they have been doing a good job of keepingpeople out of the locker room," Myers said. "And there is no reasonto believe the student (worker) has anything to do with this."
Locker room theft is nothing new to The University. Just lastyear, U of M officers arrested a suspect who they believe committedall of the 31 thefts that occurred in the men's locker room of theStudent Recreation and Fitness Center.
At that time, the lockers in the Fitness Center were made ofpliable plastic, easily bent by a flathead screwdriver. Over winterbreak, University officials replaced the plastic lockers withtougher metal ones, better suited to protect possessions, theysaid.
The new metal lockers should provide students with more peace ofmind about the safety of their stored valuables.
U of M Police Services officers are investigating the TCU theftand have already questioned one suspect, but the investigation isongoing.
"Even if we don't have enough (evidence) to prosecute someone,we can keep an eye out," Myers said.
Contact The University of Memphis Office of Public Safety withany relevant information at 678-3848.
