By Scott Harvey
Commerce – University Police at A&M-Commerce have arrested two students in connection to a string of thefts on campus, and more arrests are pending.
Felony theft charges have been filed against the two individuals, according to Crime Information Officer Jason Bone, and more charges are possible. No names have been released.
The string of crimes dates back to last year, and has resulted in approximately $20,000 - $30,000 in stolen merchandise, namely computers, from several locations including the Journalism Building and Henderson Hall.
"This is really not a victimless crime," says Bone. "It's something that we just won't tolerate."
The investigation is ongoing and more information is expected to soon be available. According to Bone, a larger number of people could be involved than first thought.
The good news, says Bone, is that police have recovered a large amount of the stolen items.
He credits the hard work of UPD over the past several months for closing in on the source of these thefts.
A major key in these crimes, says Bone, is that state agencies are held accountable for their inventory. That means if an entity is to lose so much of it in a year the state legislature could cut a certain percentage from the following year's budget.
"These small groups of people are affecting everyone's budget for next year and that means possibly less equipment in the classroom, less things for extracurricular activities, you name it."