Tower B hit by string of thefts

Pitt Police have issued a crime alert to students after responding to a string of thefts on the eighth floor of Litchfield Tower B this week.

Police issued the alert Sept. 9 after receiving three separate reports from the Tower B residence director that day. Two of the thefts happened last week, on Friday, Sept. 4, and the third happened this week on Sept. 7. Police currently have no information on a suspect, and all three investigations are pending.

According to Pitt spokesperson John Fedele, Pitt Police will not release the names of the victims, the room numbers where the robberies occurred or what was stolen.

Steve Anderson, director of residence life, said the floor eight resident assistant notified Tower B’s resident director, Shannon O’Reilly, who then notified police of the thefts Thursday.

Police received the first report Thursday at 11:11 a.m., the second at 11:35 a.m and the report for the third theft at 11:36 a.m.

Anderson said he has not seen a case like this one before, and thefts in campus buildings are “rare.” In 2014, students only reported three burglaries in campus residential facilities.

If police catch the person or persons who committed the thefts, Anderson said, it is uncertain if the police or the Office of Residence Life will handle disciplinary action. If the Office of Residence Life is responsible for disciplinary action, Anderson said, the perpetrator will be subject to sanctions, which range from counseling to suspension from Pitt.

“We do encourage students to lock their rooms and be aware of their surroundings as a way to minimize crime in general,” Fedele said in an email Thursday.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should call Pitt Police at 412-624-2121 and reference the report numbers, which are No. 15-02421, 15-2422 and 15-2423.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story stated that Tower B had been hit by a string of robberies. The word robberies in this context is accurate. The word thefts is more accurate. This story has been updated to reflect this change.