Six individuals reported stolen items from the men's locker room at the Fitzgerald Gym within the last couple of weeks.
Although students are just being notified now, Dr. Richard Wettan, assistant vice president of athletics, said that notification to security was sent pretty quickly.
"As soon as something happens, we report it to security," said Wettan. "We can't issue a campus alert unless we know it's something to worry about."
The Office of Public Safety warned students about lock tampering this past Monday, Nov. 10, in an e-mail to students, after the six robberies were reported.
"You are advised to use key locks instead," read the e-mail.
Since Monday, signs cautioning students about using Master Locks and other combination locks on their lockers have been seen around the lower level of the gym, where the locker rooms are located.
"If you have one break-in and there are no broken lockers or broken locks, you don't really know how it happened," said Wettan. "Then, all of a sudden, there was a rash of students reporting things missing from their lockers."
According to Wettan, it was at that point that the administration realized the robberies were more than isolated incidents and there was someone, or a number of individuals, who knew how to access combination locks and open them without difficulty.
Wettan said no one has been found or charged for the crimes.
"It could have been anyone and they could have taken off by now," said Wettan. "The only way we can really catch them is if they continue."
To investigate how the break-ins could have occurred, "we called Master Lock and they couldn't [give us any advice or information]," said Wettan "That's when we Googled it."
He said results immediately came up with instructions on how to open combination locks in seconds, using a variety of tools, one being part of a soda can.
"When you see young kids on YouTube showing how to open these things in seconds, it's sad," said Wettan.
Entering the keywords "Master Lock" into YouTube's search box alone yields 1,870 results. These results include instructional videos on how to crack, hack and pick various combination and key locks.
"Whoever did it shimmied the locks," said Wettan. He said that by inserting a shim into the lock shaft, the perpetrator was able to unhinge the clasp, open the locker and ultimately leave the lock as it was found, closed.
Sean, a customer care representative at Master Lock, who refused to disclose his last name, said that there was no code to override Master Locks, in general.
He did confirm that company policy states that "not all of our Master Locks are pick-proof."
Wettan also said that because of the thefts, security increased supervision of the locker room areas.
Nicholas Benitez, senior, said that if anyone really wanted to steal, heightened security would not make a difference.
"Regardless of how many guards there were, something like this could happen at anytime, even when guards are around," said Benitez. "Master Lock should work on ways to make their products harder to crack."
Benitez uses the locker rooms frequently, but said in light of the "missing" items, he doesn't trust leaving his belongings there.
"Now, I think I'm going to keep my things where the swimming lockers are; it's closer to where I work out," said Benitez.
Catalina Delahoz, sophomore, who frequents Fitzgerald weekly for aerobics class, said she doesn't feel as comfortable about using her combination lock anymore.
"I usually never read the signs, but knowing this, I'm going to leave my stuff upstairs where I have class," said Delahoz.
Another student in the women's locker room, Stacy Eliuk, a junior, said that it was "sad and unnecessary" that the situation occurred in the first place.
"You come here to work out and don't expect people to steal your stuff," said Eliuk.
She said sometimes she leaves her stuff in her locker without locking it, but now she will definitely be changing that routine by using a friend's lock or getting one of her own.
Wettan said it's important that Master Lock and other companies recreate technology when the older models prove to be obsolete.
The athletics department has already ordered new key locks for students interested in doing away with their combination locks. They should be available in the coming weeks.
"We're not looking to make a profit on these," said Wettan. "We just want to try to offer students a safer, inexpensive alternative."
Jason Shotwell, a junior, uses the water polo team's lockers in the men's locker rooms. He said the locker room robberies were a shock, but seemed to take a harder blow when it came to the news of possibly having to by a new lock, for added security.
"We shouldn't have to spend more on locks," said Shotwell. "Students have enough extra costs as it is."
QC director of security Pedro Pineiro and security personnel located on both the women's and men's sides of the locker room area declined to comment.
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