Students must protect against laptop theft

Editorial by Kernel Staff. E-mail

We’ve all been there.

You are deep in the middle of a marathon study session when nature calls. You’re faced with a dilemma: Should you leave your laptop (after all, you’ll only be gone for five minutes), or should you power it down, pack it up, and take it with you?

Trends at UK suggest you should take it with you.

According to a recent Kernel article, 35 computers have been stolen since Jan. 1. Police say that most cases on campus are opportunity theft. That means that most computer thefts can be avoided.

Another scenario: You need to leave your room for a few minutes to check a guest into your dorm. Do you lock your dorm room door? After all, you know 90 percent of the students on your floor.

Once again, trends suggest locking up is a wise decision. By simply locking your dorm room or keeping your laptop with you in the library, the chances of someone stealing your computer with the precious papers, pictures and personal information it stores, decrease dramatically. Also, by recording your computer’s serial number, you can improve the chances of recovering it if it is ever stolen and pawned.

The sad truth is that most computers on campus aren’t stolen by experienced criminals; they are stolen by your fellow UK students.

By creating an atmosphere of vigilance, the threat of computer theft would diminish.

If you study next to someone at the library all evening, see them leave for a moment, then see someone else come up to their laptop, it might be time for a polite question.

If you see a strange person wander into your floor mate’s dorm room, you should probably let someone know.

While it is sad that some students steal the property of their fellow wildcats, it’s truly disheartening that a UK student witnessing theft would allow it to happen.