UBC student critical of school after room keys and contracts stolen from residence building
A student at the University of British Columbia feels the school could have done more to prevent hundreds of room keys and student contracts from being stolen from a residence building.
Evan Croteau, a third-year human geography student says there hasn’t been much of a sense of security this week.
"It's really scary, honestly,” Croteau told CTV News Vancouver.
Croteau is one of more than 600 students living in the school’s Thunderbird residence, where according to UBC Student Housing, staff arrived early Monday morning to find that the building had been broken into.
The university says keys to students' front doors, as well as their contract cards were taken.
University RCMP say they arrested a man in his 30s who’s not a student, but only some of the keys were retrieved.
The school says it’s been working to change the locks, but Croteau says his won’t be changed until Friday.
"That's still five nights where someone could just walk off the street, into my room unnoticed,” he said.
Croteau says the contract cards contain extensive personal information and a picture.
"Certainly enough to start a bank account, from my understanding," he said. "Student names, date of birth, permanent address, contact information, medical information."
The main office inside the building where the alleged theft happened is currently under construction, and Croteau says the items were not secured properly.
"I think UBC Housing neglected to, during renovations, to keep our information somewhere safer and that's why this robbery occurred,” he said. “I think this was 100-per-cent preventable if the school had been more diligent."
UBC Student Housing disputes those claims.
"If somebody has an intention to break in and has the wherewithal and the equipment to do so, it's difficult to prevent that,” said associate vice president Andrew Parr.
“I’ve worked at UBC for more than two decades and we haven’t had a break in like this,” he added.
Parr did acknowledge that the Thunderbird building is one of the few residences without overnight security and CCTV cameras, which staff are now considering adding.
“We’re already thinking ahead to how we can mitigate or eliminate these risks,” he said. “Another question that arises is do we need paper copies? Or should we be keeping everything electronically?”
Croteau feels the enhanced security measures should have already been in place.
“We’re paying to be here, we’re paying to be safe,’’ he said. “The school isn’t holding up their end of that to keep us safe.”
Police say the suspect was released with a future court date, but as of now, no charges have been laid.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6948497.1719943118!/httpImage/image.png_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.png)
Altercation between 'numerous' golfers on B.C. course broken up by RCMP
Authorities were called to break up an altercation involving "numerous" golfers in Burnaby, B.C., over the weekend – apparently prompted by some serious breaches in etiquette.
BREAKING Trump hush money sentencing delayed due to immunity decision
A New York judge on Tuesday delayed Donald Trump's sentencing for his conviction on criminal charges stemming from hush money paid to a porn star until Sept. 18, after the former U.S. president asked for a chance to argue he should have been immune from prosecution.
'I would call this the silent eating disorder': What experts want you to know about ARFID
Unlike eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia nervosa, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, or ARFID, isn’t concerned with body shape or size. People with ARFID are very limited in the foods they feel safe and comfortable eating
Senior charged in shooting of teen on rural property north of Edmonton
A Sturgeon County man has been charged after he allegedly shot a teen over the weekend.
Eastern Ontario doctor accused of killing four patients acquitted of murder charges, negligence
An eastern Ontario doctor facing four charges of first-degree murder and negligence causing death in connection with the deaths of four seniors at a Hawkesbury hospital was acquitted on all charges at the Ottawa courthouse on Tuesday.
DEVELOPING Stampede at religious event in India kills more than 100, mostly women and children
Thousands of people at a religious gathering in India rushed to leave a makeshift tent, setting off a stampede Tuesday that killed more than 100 and left scores injured, officials said.
How arbitration plans went awry ahead of WestJet mechanics strike
An order from the federal labour minister to send WestJet and its plane mechanics into binding arbitration unexpectedly resulted in a strike on one of the busiest travel weekends of the summer.
Giuliani is disbarred in New York as court finds he repeatedly lied about Trump's 2020 election loss
Rudolph Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, federal prosecutor and legal adviser to Donald Trump, was disbarred in the state on Tuesday after a court found he repeatedly made false statements about Trump's 2020 election loss.
A bride released butterflies in honour of her late father. Instead of flying away, they stuck by her side
In a moment that brought some to tears, a U.S. bride released more than a dozen butterflies in honour of her late father. Here’s what they did instead of flying away.