Theft charges levied against NW student
by Rawly Bransom
editor-in-chief

   An 18-year-old NW Campus student has been charged with attempted theft after reportedly trying to steal an LCD video projector just before spring break.
Perry Carter is being charged with attempted theft of property valued between $1,500 and $20,000.
   Sgt. David Herndon of the TCC NW Campus Police Department was walking through a building during a routine inspection when he saw an open door that was supposed to be closed at that time.
   Checking the area, he viewed and arrested Carter, who Henderson thought was in the process of stealing a video projector.
   Robin McCarty, prosecuting lawyer for the Tarrant County D.A.’s office, said the charge is a class A misdemeanor.
   “ Since the defendant was caught in the act, the charge is lowered from a 3rd degree felony to a class A misdemeanor,” McCarty said.
   “ If the defendant had made it out of the building with the equipment before he was arrested, it would then have been a felony theft charge,” he said.
   Only a few weeks later, another projector was stolen; as of press time, no arrests have been made.
   Dr. John Martin, associate dean of learning resources on NW Campus, said property theft, although not a new problem, is a concern that businesses have had to deal with more than college campuses.
   “ We wouldn’t have had these problems when we used older 16mm projectors, but these projectors are the same type currently used as home projectors, and that makes them more susceptible to theft,” he said.
   Martin said several security protocols are being used to protect TCC equipment, but the best protection is simply to keep doors locked when no one is in classes.
   “ Sometimes this is inconvenient for students to wait until campus police can come to the classroom to unlock the doors,” he said.
   Martin said that the people in his department are “beefing up security” for projectors and other learning equipment.
   “ It’s like having a bicycle; if you have a cheap bicycle, you can secure it with a $10 chain; however, if you have a $1,000 bicycle, you would want to spend more on security. The problem comes from finding the right amount of security for the value of the item,” he said.
NW Campus police posted a crime-warning bulletin to express concerns to students about theft of college equipment as well as students’ personal belongings.
   Sgt. Herndon said theft is a problem on all campuses.
   “ We are currently working with the department (learning resources), and they are making procedures and advising faculty to keep rooms locked,” he said.
   “ I know that future plans to lock doors with computers are being developed. Using a card key to lock doors will help,” he said.
   Herndon said that the administration should schedule teachers who use a lot of equipment into classrooms that have equipment mounted permanently.
   Although the theft of TCC equipment is an issue, student property is just as important to the department, Herndon said.
   “ We’d like to think everyone is out here for educational purposes, but unfortunately that is not the case,” he said.
   Students should make sure that laptops, backpacks, wallets and other valuables should be secured.
   Students should always lock cars and make sure anything such as CDs or cell phones are not where anyone can see them as they walk by, Herndon said.
   “ This time of the year we usually see an increase in theft of text books. The bookstores are going to be having their buy back. If you find a book, you don’t need any I.D. to get the $20 for that book,” he said.
   “ Students need to remember that if they see any suspicious activity, they should call us. That is what we are here for,” he said.