The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is investigating a series of thefts of personal items in Waidner-Spahr library and has twice arrested a Carlisle resident who was seen loitering there multiple times this month.

Brandon Gray of Carlisle was seen twice in the library after receiving a trespassing warning this past summer. Gray was arrested by DPS on both Nov. 2 and Nov. 8, and was lodged in the county jail after the second arrest, Danser reported.

“All thefts are still under investigation,” said Danser. “There is not enough evidence to charge [Gray] in these cases.”

According to Danser, Gray was issued a trespassing warning over the summer after he was found sleeping on the porch of a campus-owned house.

Danser acknowledges that it is common for the homeless to frequent public libraries, like the Waidner-Spahr library and the Bosler Library on High St., when it gets colder. However, when “their behavior becomes disruptive, or they have overstayed their welcome,” Danser pointed out that those are the situations when DPS gets notified.

Due to the recent spike in on campus thefts, DPS is encouraging students to be more careful with their personal belongings and to report any suspicious activity and thefts immediately in order to aid in preventing crime and returning stolen objects, according to Danser.

“Safety has to be a cooperative effort. It is crucial that students and faculty be willing to come forward with information about suspicious activity and report crimes,” said Danser.

Danser said that DPS has been doing extra library patrols, and the officers often find belongings unattended, prompting them to wait, sometimes a significant amount of time, until the owner returns to make sure nothing is stolen. DPS officers are also advising students that it is not a safe practice to leave valuables in a public area.

“You wouldn’t leave your laptop on a bench in a shopping mall,” said Danser. “It’s the same in the library. But when you’re on a college campus, it feels like a bubble, giving you a false sense of security.”

In addition to the library thefts, Danser said that DPS has also seen an increase in thefts of bicycles from college-owned bike racks. Danser sent out a campus-wide email on Nov. 9 advising Dickinsonians on how to better protect their bikes. She strongly recommends getting a Kryptonite brand lock, which are more secure than cable locks.