Kevin Sattler returned back to Buffalo from a relaxing spring break to find his Goodyear Hall dorm room destroyed. All his clothes were dumped out of his drawers and strewn about the floor and his PlayStation 3 was missing along with controllers and games.
Sattler's roommate's belongings were in disarray as well and his PlayStation 2 was stolen.
"I know we locked the door when we left for break," Sattler, a freshman communication major said. "It looked like someone just unlocked the door, walked in and trashed the place."
Sattler and his roommate are residents of just one of the handful of rooms in Goodyear and MacDonald Halls that were burglarized on March 9, while break was still in session. Twenty-six of the rooms were in Goodyear while three were in MacDonald.
The investigation into the burglaries is ongoing, but according to Lt. Roy Guarino, of the University Police Department, the situation is not as serious as UPD once believed.
"The situation is not even close to what we originally thought," Guarino said. "Only small items were taken and most were recovered, but it's still under investigation."
Students, however, beg to differ.
"A [PlayStation 3] is very valuable and the police don't seem to be doing anything," Sattler said. "I wasn't even notified of the incident prior to coming back from break. My suitemates received an e-mail but I didn't. Plus, the e-mail said our room was fine and clearly it wasn't."
It seems that many students weren't notified about the situation at all. Katie Searing, a freshman undecided major and Goodyear resident, heard about the situation from word of mouth while Mike Wier, a sophomore architecture major living in Clement Hall, received an e-mail regarding the situation, but it only said that his building wasn't part of the incident.
"I'm surprised that UB housing, police, or any other officials weren't eager to notify students that their rooms could possibly have been broken into," Searing said. "It would be nice to know if my belongings are at risk or secure."
UPD feel that the burglaries weren't a security breach but instead a result of unlocked rooms being left unattended over the week-long break.
"It is probable that some rooms were unintentionally left unlocked and others may not have been locked properly; there was no forced entry," said John Della Contrada, senior director of media relations for UB. "Of the initial 29 rooms that were found unlocked by University Police, so far only eight residents have reported missing items."
UPD feel that students have no need to worry and that the incident was likely an unfunny practical joke.
"The items missing were generally clothing or small personal items and in many cases these items were found in another room. It is possible that this may have been some type of prank on one floor of a residence hall, but the investigation is continuing," Della Contrada said.
However, according to a UPD police report, the burglaries weren't just contained to one floor. Rooms on floors one, three and four were targeted in MacDonald Hall while rooms on floors two, three and nine were entered in Goodyear Hall.
Kathy Garcia, a freshman speech pathology major, also found her room in disarray, but her room was not on the original list compiled by UPD.
"My roommate went down and told the police officer on duty of the situation. Her digital camera was missing and our room was trashed," Garcia said. "We know we locked our door. I don't know how this happened."
Garcia, like Settler, didn't receive an e-mail and hasn't received further correspondence from UPD about the situation.
"It angers me that we weren't even notified and aren't getting an compensation from the university," Settler said.
A guard is on duty at Goodyear Hall from 10 p.m. until about 3 a.m. while classes are in session, but University Residence Hall officials in Goodyear Hall declined comment on increased security and higher ranking University Residence Halls & Apartments officials did not immediately return phone calls.
Students hope that URH&A gather resources and increase security inside the dorms even when they're closed for breaks.
"It's weird that someone was able to get in and go through the building. My door is fine, it looks like the burglar had a key," Garcia said. "I really hope UB increases security. We all have the right to the safety of our personal property."
Anyone with information about the incident should contact UPD at 645-2228.
Additional reporting by Chelsie Hinckley, Asst. City Editor.
