A Dell 17-inch panel monitor was stolen from AU115 two weeks ago exposing a possible threat of increased theft on campus.

But is burglary really an issue at GCC?

Not to a great degree, according to the campus police department, which said that the stolen monitor was not part of an ongoing theft problem.

Reed Anderson, director of operations of Information Technology Services (ITS), said that it’s usually the computers that get stolen in the rare occasions that burglary crimes are reported on campus.

Anderson estimated the value of the monitor at $250.

Both Anderson and the campus police agreed that the incident may have occurred because a teacher forgot to close the cabinet where the monitor was stationed, so that it was a crime of opportunity rather than one plotted out.

The thief has not yet been identified.

According to the crime statistics released by the campus police, there have been 10 burglary cases reported in 2005, five in 2006 and six in 2007.

There have not been any robbery cases in at least the past four years. The difference between burglary and robbery is that with a burglary, there is an intention to break into a place to commit a crime; whether it is theft, assault or another felony.

With robbery, there must be a form of violence or threat of violence to deprive someone of their property, such as holding a store clerk at gun point and demanding the money.

To contact the campus police, call (818) 240-1000 ext. 5925, or ext. 4000 for an emergency call.