Late night shopping will not be available this week at Maroon and Midway Markets, better known as Bart Mart and its counterpart in the South Campus Residence Hall, as Campus Housing and Dining are concerned for the safety of workers in the face of brazen shoplifting.
The stores will close at midnight until Thursday (they would have stayed open until 3 a.m.) and at 8 p.m. on Friday, the last day of the quarter, as usual. The stores have closed at midnight since June 1.
Shoplifting incidents have increased at both stores this quarter, according to Housing and Dining Director Richard Mason, as have the incidences of destructive behavior. He said the staff would confront the perpetrators—Mason said students tended to be involved—about their behavior, and have been faced with an increased level of aggression that has not checked by a message sent out through residence heads.
“The interactions between the staff and the people they’ve been confronting about their behavior have begun to escalate, and the staff have begun to feel for their safety,” said Mason, who added no one has been hurt in these confrontations.
The incidents, similar to ones that have taken place in recent years but more frequent and with a marked change in tone, have involved “drunkenness, swearing, belligerent behavior towards the staff as they have confronted obvious shoplifting,” Mason said. They have tended to take place later in the night.
One incident, which took place on May 21 at 11:45 p.m. at Maroon Market, resulted in the arrest of two people on May 27, following a University Police (UCPD) investigation, according to the UCPD Daily Incident Reports. UCPD officials were not available for comment when this article was written.
Residence staff members, including residence heads, were asked to speak with students about the incidents, in an effort to curtail the incidents, Mason said. Students involved have been disciplined, he said.
Mason said he was concerned over “the meta-message of posting security guards at the door” when asked why that solution was not pursued.
Given the greater frequency and intensity of the incidents, Mason said he was concerned that the norm for crime at the markets was changing—something that he hopes to address in the fall, he said: “The direction I’d like to go into is start next fall is start with some strong educational messages to reset the norm.”
Mason indicated business would not be seriously affected. “In looking at the people who buy stuff, still the overwhelming majority of people are being served before midnight,” Mason said.
It’s not as if Bart Mart hasn’t been stealing from the entire student population charging 6 bucks for a box or cereal or 5 for a bag of chips. You think the next contract the school gives could address this?
A store charging high prices doesn’t justify stealing from it. If you don’t lilke the high prices, don’t shop there. Better yet, work with the administration to alter the contract.
Look, let’s call it what it is: a bunch of drunk undergrads are getting off on stealing from a convenience mart late at night. Frankly, I’m a bit surprised–stuff like this doesn’t usually happen at Chicago, at least not as often as at many other undergrad institutions.
I’m not sure why the obvious solution hasn’t been mentioned: install a camera. No muss, no fuss. Post a sign right at the door informing individuals that the premises are recorded. Conceal the camera so that people don’t know where/when they are exactly being filmed. I’m guessing the shoplifting rate would fall to about 0% within a month or two, particularly if the first set of violators who left the store were subsequently caught and prosecuted (using the camera footage).
There already is a camera.
I’m not sure why Eradicate is so frankly-a-bit-surprised about U of C kids shoplifting. People get drunk and steal things. It happens. We are not special. It’s really frustrating when people assume there’s some higher standard at our school just because it, and many of the students who attend, have very high opinions of themselves.
“A store charging high prices doesn’t justify stealing from it. If you don’t lilke the high prices, don’t shop there.”
Ok, wiseguy, there’s no other option.
“install a camera. No muss, no fuss. ”
Already in place. You don’t really not what you’re talking about, do you?
What Up?:
Who cares? As in: what’s the point of your post? I don’t care if there’s “no other option.” Too bad. It still wouldn’t justify stealing.
FYI, there are other options: a quick google search will reveal about 10 food / convenience stores within a 5-minute cab ride from where the bart mart is located. If safety is an issue (which, frankly for some of these stores, it might be in terms of walking), a round-trip cab trip will cost you less than $10, including waiting time. Call a cab, and they can be there in about 10-15 minutes. Peapod is also your friend. So is planning ahead. So is carpooling. Use your head and figure it out.
But again, who cares? It being less than easy to satisfy your late night craving for chips or soda or whatever does not justify stealing.
Moreover, who ever said that I was claiming to be an expert about the Bart Mart? Wow. You got me. I didn’t know there was a camera in place. How earth-shattering.
Here’s a clue: if there’s a camera in place, great! Use the footage to prosecute the thieves. Did you read that part of my post? You need to actually ACT on the evidence or else it’s not an effective deterrent.
Theft is a crime. Just because the prices are high, or the criminal is an undergrad, or it’s inconvenient to find whatever you’re stealing elsewhere doesn’t change that. I’m sure the UCPD would have no problem assisting the mart in tracking down the losers who indulge this vice. And I guarantee you that, as soon as word got around campus that, yes, in fact, they do charge you for stealing, the rate of theft would fall dramatically.