By Matthew Pramas
Contributing Editor

After two recent campus break-ins, many students have adjusted their security habits by now locking doors. Colchester Police Department responded to a burglary in a 300s townhouse after a faculty member saw a broken window and reported it to Public Safety on Dec. 18. A month later, after an attempted break-in of Joyce and Lyons on Jan. 17, two men were confronted outside of the freshman dorms by Residence Life staff members.

The Dec. 18 incident prompted an investigation that has led Colchester Police Department to locate a suspect who was seen in the area during the time of the break-in. A laundry-room surveillance camera observed the male intruder wearing black pants and a hooded jacket peering through washers and dryers before leaving. This incident, undisclosed by the college to most of its students, was made public by WCAX 3. Residents of the closest townhouses were contacted by the college although they were on winter vacation at the time.

Doug Babcock, director of Public Safety, said that in working with the residents, they were able to figure out a possible timeframe for when the break-in could have occurred.“On our video system we actually saw somebody in the area, tracked them back to a couple locations on campus, and back to one of the local stores, and gave that information to the Colchester Police,” Babcock said.

It was a month later at about 7:20 p.m. when Residential Directors (RD)Natalie Zimmer and Maggie DiMasi confronted two men attempting to break into residence halls through dorm room windows. The two men first attempted to break into Joyce before being confronted by one RD and told to leave the premises. Shortly after, another RD observed the same men attempting to enter a dorm room through a window in Lyons. She confronted them, asked questions, and called Public Safety.

Babcock lauded the Resident Directors’ proactive response to the situation, especially as the suspects fled the area after failing to break into both buildings.

“When [the RDs] contacted Public Safety, we ended up tracking them [the burglars] as they left, and our on-duty officer tracked them all the way down into Winooski,” he said.
The local police located one of the suspects and is aware of the other suspect’s identity.

While break-in attempts and theft are not constant on campus, neither are they uncommon or unexpected. “We’re open to the community –we don’t have a fence around the entire campus and with Cumberland Farms, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Simons, we’re kind of in the course of transit,” Babcock said.

Beyond the surrounding businesses, the public nature reserve and Route 15, which is often busy, are other reminders that St. Michael’s is not entirely isolated.

Babcock suggested students take certain precautionary measures, such as locking doors and wwindows. “Don’t let people in [your dorm] if you don’t know they belong on campus and don’t prop front doors open,” Babcock said.

Both break-ins were curtailed by the townhouse’s locked doors and the Joyce and Lyons entrance card-access system.

For some students, like Zach Nover ’20, who leaves his doors and windows locked, keeping a more secure routine will be easy. Others, who prefer to leave their doors and windows unlocked, run a greater risk of being a victim of theft in the future.

Babcock said he strives to work with the students and school community and that their vigilance makes a difference.

“If you see something that just doesn’t fit, say something.”