Break-in at Dorothy Day House

By Michael Schrader

In the early morning hours of January 23rd, the campus police station received a call that there had been a break in at the new Dorothy Day house. The police reported they received a phone call from the occupants that they heard porch chairs being knocked over and the door handle was being jiggled a bit. They also reported the individual fled the scene when they realized the house wasn’t empty.

One of the occupants, Cora Harrison, told that those who were home forgot to lock the door when a friend left. It wasn’t until 1 a.m. when she said they heard a noise,
while they were on their way to bed. “We were all in the hallway when we heard the door start to open and so we made a noise and ran back into the living room.”

They then called the police and listened to tell if anyone was still in the house.

After porch chairs were heard being tipped over and a car peeling out, they decided it would be best to leave the house and walk down 30th, waiting for the cop in a highly visible place.

While this is the first report of a break-in at campus houses this year, Marian police said there was another disturbance reported. They received a call from a student about people conversing outside their house. When the officer arrived,
however, he could not locate anyone.

The break-in attempt has put the safety of campus houses into question. “I honestly don’t know how safe I feel now that this has happened,” said Harrison. “It was
already scary enough being so far off campus compared to our old Peace and Justice house right next to Doyle.”

Campus Police did say that officers on duty patrol the campus and adjacent properties throughout their whole shift.

Listed below are some ways to prevent break-ins from Chief Scott Ralph.

• Always keep doors and windows locked (even when you are home).

• Keep the blinds and drapes closed when area gone.

• Do not walk alone after dark. Travel together, contact a friend, or the Police Department (955-6789) to escort you. The Police Department will assist students who live in off-campus housing as well as on campus.

• NEVER leave your keys outside your place under a doormat or in a place accessible
to a stranger.

• If you lose your keys, notify Residence Life as soon as possible.

• NEVER leave notes on your door or messages on your answering machine indicating
that you are away.

• When driving, keep your doors locked and park in well-lit areas.

• If you own a bicycle, register it with the Campus Police Department.

• If you are going to be gone from your apartment/house for an extended period of
time:

• Let a neighbor know when you will be gone and ask them to keep an eye out for any unusual activity. Provide a contact number while you will be gone.

• Leave a light on when you are gone, or purchase a utility timer that can turn lights off and on automatically in your absence.

• Either stop your service temporarily or have someone get your mail, newspaper, etc. each day, so that it is not obvious that you are not home.