While sitting on a wooden bench, in the crowded, warm locker room, Kimberly Dominguez, 21, kept a roaming eye on the girls all around her. As a student who uses the lockers for more than just her gym socks and sneakers, Dominquez is worried about locker thefts on campus.

According to Campus Police, Glendale College experienced 10 burglaries in 2005, five in 2006 and six in 2007.

“There’s been talk about adding cameras in certain parts of the men’s locker room, and I’d be the first to volunteer to help put them up,” said P.E. Coach Jon Gold.
Gold has seen too many students become a victim of theft.

“Guys will come in and scope around to see what other guys are putting in their lockers, then come by another day and bang off the locks with a hammer,” Gold said.

“I’ve heard some students keep up to $300 dollars in their locker. My advice is to never keep anything of value in your locker,” Gold said.

Two years ago, the men’s locker room was hit hard when someone broke into every locker in the gym.

“They even broke into my office and stole a signed NFL football,” equipment manager Roger Silva said about the incident. He also agreed with Gold that the school is doing what they can to fight against theft.

“The school got new entrance doors [for the gym] and since then the robberies have decreased,” said Silva.

Campus Police would not comment further on whether thefts have decreased.

During orientation for P.E. class, Gold told the story of two girls who started talking to a student while she was opening her locker, and while one of the thieves asked the student to help her with her lock, the other one got into the student’s locker and stole her belongings.

“I put everything in my locker, my whole bag.my life,” she said. Dominguez has been using the women’s lockers for over three semesters. “You would think girls would have more respect for each other.”

Although shocked about the theft, Dominguez is just going to make adjustments.
“I’m still going to use the lockers — I’m just going to be more cautious,” said Dominguez.

Being cautious is the key to avoiding locker theft. Gold and Silva recommend that students never leave their locker unlocked and unattended to. Also, never leave money in the locker. And finally, never tell anyone the locker combination. So far this semester, the college hasn’t experienced any locker theft.