Man arrested after students' keys, contracts stolen during break-in at UBC residence
Monday break-in happened at Thunderbird residence front desk
University RCMP say a man in his 30s has been arrested after a weekend break-in at a University of British Columbia residence during which hundreds of keys and contracts were stolen.
According to a UBC Student Housing spokesperson, the break-in happened at the front desk of Thunderbird residence which houses up to 634 students in condo-style apartments.
"When our staff arrived early on Monday morning, they saw that there was a break-in and they reported to the RCMP immediately," said Andrew Parr, associate vice-president of student housing and community services at the University of British Columbia.
Parr says among the stolen items were keys to unit doors and contract cards which contain students' personal information.
"That is a breach, obviously, of safety and that was a huge concern for us," he said.
Parr says the university is replacing the locks for over 400 front doors and many bedroom doors.
Stolen items partially recovered
University RCMP say the man who was arrested is not a student and has been released. He is scheduled to appear in court at a later date. Police did not say what he may be charged with.
According to Parr, some of the stolen items were recovered during the arrest.
"We're still kind of hopeful that some of those things will materialize as the investigation unfolds with the RCMP."
On campus, students and residents alike reacted with surprise and concern to the news of the break-in.
"That's not acceptable. That shouldn't happen," said Chae Hyeon, who lives near UBC.
"It's quite frightening," said Maryam Bashir, a mother who says she will be more vigilant going forward. "Nothing has happened before. This is the first time I'm hearing something like this happening."
Private information on contract cards
A student who only gave the first name Tom said the sound of someone trying to open the door to his residence at Thunderbird woke him up at 1 a.m. on Monday.
"It's weird," Tom said. "For some burglars it is common that they are burgling for money. Why are they burgling just for information?"
Parr says he understands students' concerns about personal information being stolen.
"We've provided the students information of exactly what information was on those cards, so they know every detail of what was provided," he said.
Parr adds that the university is looking into its safety systems to reduce the risk of another theft.