Tuesday, March 6, 1984/The Battaiion/Page 3 Property theft Students, staff victimized by 'opportunistic' thieves 1ENT By SARAH OATES Stall Writer Riow often have you left your back- pat k or purse out on a desk or in a hall- wa\ for “just a moment” while you ducked into the bathroom or ran out to your ear? If you’ve returned to find your backpack where you left it with ydtir belongings accounted for, you’re one of the lucky few. ■Too often, people with an “it won’t happen to me,” attitude become victims of property crime, one of the worst problems at Texas A&M. ■The rate of violent crime at Texas A&M is low; in the past year there were || reported murders, rapes or robberies oft campus. However, the rate of prop- e*v theft here is increasing each year. ■“People are victimized by careles- |mss,” said Bob Wiatt, director of secu- ritvand traffic for the University Police. “They don’t realize that thieves are op portunists.” ■University Police regularly make pre- saitations to students warning them to be careful with their belongings, but Wuit said students and staff members don i seem to take the problem seriously ujuil they are directly affected. ■“We try like evangelists to spread the mi -age,” he said, “but unfortunately, oui words fall on deaf ears.” ■ Individual officers make presenta- tiffins about crime prevention to various ■ganhations and to dorm residents attiiut six to 10 times every month. Wiatt makes six or seven major speeches about crime prevention each year, usually to th versity newcomers, such as incoming fcshmtn, new resident advisors, the on ps of Cadets and students living of f- ctjmpus. Pamphlets about crime preven tion also are available at the University Police Department. Wiatt said students are the most fre quent victims of property crimes and wallets, backpacks and bicycles are among the most common objects stolen. Cars and computers are usually the most expensive objects stolen. Wiatt said most thefts occur because people are careless and building security is poor. University police periodically make building security checks with the building proctors to point out vulnera ble areas. Building proctors are respon sible for security. “We find hundreds of doors open each month as we patrol the buildings,” he said. “There’s a lapse between our pointing out a security vulnerability and people implementing better security measures.” Wiatt said that burglaries often occur because building keys fall into the wrong hands. For example, he said an em- t doyee might have a copy of a building :ey made up for a spouse. “Pretty soon, there’s hundreds of keys floating around,” he said. “That is naive te.” He said the risk of computer thefts could be diminished if commercial de vices to “preclude theft susceptibility” were used, such as cables that lock a computer to the desk it sits on. “The University will spend thousands of dollars to buy a computer,” he said, “but they won’t spend a couple hundred extra to secure them.” The computers stolen from the Blocker Building last week were not se cured. In 1983, computer equipment va lued at $20,709 was stolen from the Uni versity, and in the first two months of 1981, equipment valued at $16,031 has been stolen. “No security devices were attached to any of these computers,” he said. “When everybody knows everybody else’s combinations, it rips security apart,” he said, “People in their little neophyte protective shells don’t realize there are people out there doing these things, so we have a horrendous amount of property theft.” Property theft on campus has in creased since last year. University Police recorded 439 separate property thefts for the academic year from September 1982 to February 1983, a total value of $99,902 in stolen items. For the entire year, that valuejumped to $225,425. From September 1983 to February 1984, 468 separate property losses were recorded, the total valued at $174,253. Burglaries accounted for $62,845, thefts accounted for $72,608 and vehicle thefts amounted to $38,800. Wiatt said there are several “com- mmon sense” measures students can lake to protect themselves against prop erty crime: • Don’t leave personal belongings unattended in public places • Lock your doors and keep track of your keys. • Mark all valuable items with your driver’s license number. This can be done either with engraving or indelible ink. The University Police Department has engravers available to students. • Conduct a burglary prevention sur vey of your dorm room or apartment. Look for ways to improve lighting and eliminate potential hiding places. • Don’t leave anything valuable in your car and make sure doors are locked and windows rolled up when you leave. • Register bicycles with the Univer sity Police Department and lock bicycles to racks with locks and chains. • Report suspicious activity. Bilingual schooling endorsed United Press International AUSTIN — The state direc tor of the nation’s largest His panic organization Monday en dorsed mandatory bilingual education for kindergarteners as a step toward improving the education of Hispanics in Texas. School districts must imple ment bilingual education begin ning in the first grade but have the option of whether to offer it in kindergarten. Correction An article in Monday’s Bat talion incorrectly reported that Sul Ross scholarships for Corps of Cadets members are worth $15,000. The two-year schol arships are now $2,000, or $500 per semester. Beginning this fall, Sul Ross scholarships will be $2,400, or $600 per semes ter. The $15,000 figure is how much it costs to endow the scholarships. The Battalion re grets the error. Johnny Mata, state director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said the op tion gave some students an un fair advantage over others. “Participation by a child who needs such instruction should not have to depend on which district that child resides in,” Mata said at a Capitol news con ference. “Implementation of this pro gram on a mandatory basis will save taxpayer dollars in the long run by accelerating the process of learning English and short ening the time period necessary for a complete and successful transitional bilingual education course of instruction for each child.” Mata also called for higher pay for science, math and bil ingual education teachers to al leviate teacher shortages in those subjects- ^ DEFENSIVE ^ DRIVING COURSE March 19&20 RAMADA INN Pre-register by phone: 693-8178/846-1904 FEE $20 Ticket Deferral and 10% Insurance Discount bemctyel bows to Syrians Lebanon cancels accord ihinited Press International BEIRUT — President Amin bowing to Syrian de mands, canceled the May 17 Ke accord with Israel Mon- lay md agreed to form a na- ^Nal unity government to give Mjllems a broader role in rul- ywy ngtebanon. ,‘Tl'l In other action, unidentified ■men shot and wounded a J.S. Marine colonel on the wa- erfront near Beirut’s U.S. Em- asjy, and attackers in a speed- Wy mgpr fired a rocket-propelled ;renade at French troops, kill- . a gU French peacekeeper. Is- U’*’" -aeli warplanes also staged twin ir strikes on suspected Pales- fin guerrilla bases in the tountains southeast of Beirut. Ill Jerusalem, Israeli Prime ilinister Yitzhak Shamir con- tepRined the abrogation of the fit)id as a “death sentence to Lebanese independence and sovereignty” and vowed Israel would decide “the best ways” to guard against terrorism in southern Lebanon. Israeli troops invaded Leb anon on June 6, 1982, to oust Palestine Liberation Organiza tion guerrillas from its northern border. Syrian Prime Minister Abdel Rauf Qasm gloated in Damas cus that his government has “convinced America and Israel that Syria is a mighty roadblock that cannot be trespassed eas- ily.” Despite a truce arranged Sunday, artillery and mortar shells slammed into east Beirut, killing at least one person and wounding seven others in spill over fighting from the “green line” dividing Christian east from Moslem west Beirut. Scattered fighting between Lebanon’s warring factions also shook the Shouf mountain vil lage of Souk el Gharb, a key army outpost guarding the ap proach to Gemayel’s presi dential palace. Even before cancellation of the Lebanese-Israeli accord was formally announced, witnesses said, they saw angry Christian residents ripping up posters of Gemayel that line the streets of east Beirut. Syrian President Hafez Assad and his rebel Moslem allies had demanded the accord be scrapped as a condition for a cease-fire in Beirut and a re sumption of national reconcilia tion talks aimed at broadening the Moslem role in Gemayel’s minority Christian government. In a long-awaited meeting, Gemayel and Cabinet ministers agreed to cancel the May 17 accord, reopen national recon ciliation talks in Switzerland and form a new government of national unity. Chefik Mneimne, secretary general of the 10-man caretaker Cabinet that resigned Feb. 5, formally announced abrogation of the agreement in a statement carried by Beirut radio. Mneimne said the Cabinet considered the U.S.-mediated accord, which was never rati fied, “void as if it never existed and agreed to the cancellation of everything depending on it.” Once you've seen the SHoustonBaHeL^ Your life may never be the same! J' "V "Mixed Repertoire Tuesday, March 20 Sleeping Beauty' Wednesday, March 21 MSC OPAS ELEVEN Tickets available at MSC Box Office 845-1234 Buy your tickets before Spring Break of t.u. id their f Tower, e of The 8 pa {ter not ex# 1 H resv* • Jte auA 0 ’ 1 i an