Over the recent reading week break, over $3,500 worth of computer equipment was stolen from the Art and Art History departments office on Sheridan College campus. Located in the Annie Smith Centre, home to the joint degree programme between UTM and Sheridan, six computers and a recently purchased LCD projector were lost in the theft, which apparently left no signs of forced entry.
- Professor John Armstrong points towards the crime scene at Sheridan College where $3,500 worth of computers were stolen. The Art and Art History degree is a joint UTM Sheridan programme (Photo/Matthew Filipowich).
According to Professor John Armstrong, coordinator of the Art and Art History programme, the department is looking into an insurance claim, as well as college policy on the question of how to proceed. The police didnt dust for fingerprints because they said too many people had used the area, Armstrong added.
Halton Region Police Sergeant Brian Carr confirms that certain situations might not be fingerprinted for that reason, because even though we live in a CSI-world, things are not CSI ninety-nine per cent of the time. He stated that he was not aware of any details related to the incident, and could not offer any information on it.
When asked to comment on the availability of surveillance footage or the state of security at Sheridan College, director of marketing and communication Janine Gliener declined and offered to contact The Medium at a more convenient opportunity. As of press time, Sheridan College has not responded to these questions.
The entire incident appears to be a mystery, with almost no one aware of its occurrence, and no one able to explain how it happened. We are bewildered by the disappearance of the equipment from two secure areas, remarked Professor Armstrong. The loss is a great inconvenience to students and faculty using the studio facilities in the Annie Smith Centre.
Since so many students depend upon the centre for project- and school-related work, the department has arranged for it to continue, Armstrong noted. Faculty have donated used computers as a stop-gap measure, and these computers are now properly imaged and up and running.
