There have been several cases of thievery on the University of Memphis campus this past month.
A blue and silver bike was stolen near a student dormitory at the U of M on Feb. 5.
Annalee Elmore, a 19-year-old art therapy major, had her bike stolen near the Living Learning Complex, commonly known as the LLC and Mynders Hall.
“I walked out of the LLC where the bike racks were and it was gone,” Elmore said. “ I called my mother in shock. I locked my bike the day before.”
Another student also had one of his personal belongings stolen this month.
Connor Rides, a 19-year-old U of M student, had his iPad stolen at McWherter Library on Feb. 10.
The incident happened 30 minutes after Rides came from the bathroom on the fourth floor in the library after he washed his hands.
“It was my fault, really,” Rides said. “I searched and tried to relocate it.”
The U of M Police Services receive student belongings either from students or faculty immediately or through individual buildings and departments.
Police services have had state-certified police since 1990. There are 34 members at police services along with U of M Chief of Police Bruce Harber. Police services’ have enforcement powers within Memphis due to mutual agreement with Memphis Police. They also go through the same training as Tennessee policemen.
According to U of M Assistant Police Chief Derek Myers, they receive most of student’s belongings through the University Center, the library, and the Recreation Center.
Nikesha Brown, a 22-year-old U of M student had their car broken in at the block of Central Avenue during late January. The car was broken into on the driver’s side, the retriever was stolen and the dashboard was broken, according to the police report.
Most students retrieve their items from police services or police services help them.
Jeremy Thomas, a 27-year-old computer science major, lost his keys in October 2014.
“Police services really helped me out,” Thomas said. “They allowed me to go into the nursing building and retrieve them.”
However, some students do not retrieve their items.
“Sometimes we find a wallet and the person does not show up,” Myers said. “We have the person’s whole wallet, call the person and the person still does not show up.”
The most common things found are phones, wallets and keys. Laptops and computers are not as common. Money from the wallets are given put in a special account in the Bursar and then put into the student’s account, according to Myers.
After a several months, police services will ship electronic items and items that are not IDs to the state department in Nashville. IDs are shredded.
Twenty years ago, police services used to auction items after the items stayed in the service for a long period of time, though they no longer do that according to Myers.
Police Services’ is emergency number is (901) 678-HELP (4357), and for non-emergency calls, the number is (901) 678-3848.
