Campus, News

Thieves steal 12 textbooks from Academic Services

Thieves made off with 12 teacher edition textbooks in two isolated incidents within a three month-span, according to University Police.

In two separate incidents in July and September, thieves stole a total of 12 textbooks from the Academic Services building at California State University, Long Beach, according to a report filed with the University Police.  Police officials said that the thieves stole eight textbooks in July and four in September.

Kimberly Word, associate director of Educational Leadership, said that the total estimated loss of the textbooks was roughly $1,200.

Lt. Richard Goodwin of University Police said that this specific situation was “unusual,” as most textbook thefts typically occurred in high-student populated areas, such as cafeterias and libraries.

Word said that in the first incident, eight newly ordered textbooks meant for a teacher education instructor disappeared from an office within the Educational Leadership Department in July.  One of the staff members inspected the textbooks by opening the shipping box the orders arrived in.  The box was then set aside on a table and was left there for two weeks with the books still inside.  During those two weeks, a cleaning crew put the box on a top shelf, Word said.

When Word arrived to check on the box after those two weeks, the books were gone.

“We know in a matter of a week, or two, that the books were gone,” Word said.

In the second incident, four new textbooks belonging to professor William Vega of the Educational Leadership Department disappeared in September, Word said. Vega ordered four textbooks to use for his class.  He left the textbooks on the shelf for a week. He later discovered the books missing from his office, Word said.

“Because we order so many books in our department for our faculty members, he thought he misplaced them or gave them to a student,” Word said. “ He realized that he had been ordering the same book several times because he could no longer find it.  The last time he went to look for it, the fact that he knew he set it on his desk, that he knew that he showed a student that it wasn’t there; and that he knew ‘I think my book got stolen.”

Word said that the offices in both the faculty offices and Educational Leadership Department are open during business hours in the summer.  The faculty offices are open from Monday to Wednesday from noon to 7 p.m., and closed Thursdays and Fridays unless otherwise opened by a faculty member.

During department business hours, whenever someone enters the office, a receptionist is supposed to check who it is. In the faculty area, there would usually be a faculty member in their office, but not in the lobby.

“We don’t get a lot of foot traffic here; the most [this office] has gotten at one point was five people,” Word said.

According to Word, the estimated cost for the loss of the textbooks in the first incident amounts up to $800, and the second incident is estimated to be $470.

Lt. Richard Goodwin of University Police said that textbooks thefts are on the decline compared to bicycles and electronic devices, but that tracking a lost textbook is more difficult.

Goodwin said that the campus bookstore has security measures put into place, such as when a student is trying to sell their books; the staff will look up that student’s past and present class schedule.  The bookstore is supposed to notify university police if a person doesn’t have a class that matches up with the book.  However, Goodwin considers third-party book retailers and online stores much harder to track since those areas don’t have access to student records.

Cpl. Stephen Gray of University Police said the investigation for the missing textbooks is still ongoing.

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