$510 was stolen from the ASUP office.
(Photo from Google Images -- The Beacon)
By Philippe Boutros, Staff Writer -- boutros14@up.edu
For the second year in a row, someone has stolen cash and checks from ASUP that were intended to buy individualized sweatshirts for senators. Public Safety suspects the same person is responsible for both thefts.
"It was an inside job," ASUP Vice President and senior Katie Scally said.
"It was a student, someone who was a part of ASUP, but I can't say in what context," she said.
Over $500 was stolen from a drawer inside the ASUP treasurer's desk in St. Mary's Student Center.
"It wasn't student government money, it was a number of individual senators' money," ASUP President and senior Colin Dorwart said.
ASUP reported the theft to Public Safety on Dec. 14, 2010.
"Within a day or two, they had a primary suspect," ASUP Treasurer Ben Thompson. "I was really surprised that they put all their resources into the case; they really went above and beyond to help."
Director of Public Safety Harold Burke-Sivers also declined to name their suspect.
"The person that we suspect did not come back this semester," Burke-Sivers said.
The suspect was interviewed, according to Burke-Sivers.
"It was reported to us too long after the fact. Had we been notified immediately, we would have been able to bring it to a successful resolution," Burke-Sivers said.
"Five-hundred and ten dollars is a lot to lose, but it is less than the cost of recouping it," Thompson said. "There wasn't enough money to justify having the desk fingerprinted and tracing the information. It's kind of unfortunate that it wasn't more so that we could pursue it."
"It surprised me that it did disappear – it was mainly checks. As far as I know, none of them have been cashed, so maybe around $100 of cash were stolen," Thompson said.
"I assume that this is embarrassing for ASUP," Jeromy Koffler, director of Student Activities, said. "We have a safe located in the Student Activities Center near the printer; we've given ASUP access to it. It's a resource for them."
ASUP will likely have to take money out of its discretionary fund in order to compensate for the loss, according to Dorwart and Scally.
"It's pretty disappointing that people stole from ASUP when we manage all the clubs and do stuff for them," freshman Senator Gilbert Resendez said. "We each lost $35 – people were pretty shocked."
(Hanna Grey -- The Beacon)
