By Tejal Patel
Public Safety, in conjunction with the Nassau County Police Department, is investigating an accusation by University students of theft from Nassau Hall.
Sophomores Ryan Waslenko and Lee Bookfor, who live in Nassau 501A, said they believe a maintenance employee who entered their room while they were out stole their iPod Nanos, which they kept on iPod docks.
The theft was reported to Public Safety on Oct. 16.
“I’m [kind of] mad that Public Safety didn’t even care and Hofstra staff [allegedly] took them,” said Bookfor.
John O’Malley, assistant director of Public Safety, explained that maintenance workers should key into the room, do the work they need to, lock up and leave. He said he has only had about three complaints against the Plant Department over the last 19 years since he has worked at the University and this is the first allegation of theft he has heard.
A maintenance worker knocked on the door at around 9:45 a.m. and said he was there to repair the HVAC unit, according to suitemate Kurt Jurgens. Jurgens said he told the man that he believed it was the unit in room 501C that needed to be repaired, but that the man said his work order said 501A. The Plant Department could not confirm that a work order was received, citing security reasons. They declined to comment on the accusations.
Jurgens said the man then keyed into 501A. Jurgens, however, was not present while the maintenance employee was in the room. The only other person in the suite was sophomore Matt Keating, who was sleeping in room 501B.
The employee then came out of 501A and said nothing was wrong with the unit and proceeded to key into 501C to check that unit, Jergens continued. When he exited 501C the maintenance employee said he did not have the tools to repair the HVAC unit with him and that he would return in the afternoon with the proper tools.
Bookfor said he returned to his room at around 11 a.m. to find his door unlocked, which he was sure he locked when he left the room that morning at 8:40 a.m. Waslenko had already left for class by that time. Assuming his roommate was home, Bookfor entered his room and a few minutes later noticed that both his iPod and his roommate’s iPod were missing.
According to Waslenko, two employees from the Plant Department returned to their room at around 3 p.m. with a whole new HVAC unit to install in 501C. Waslenko said that when he asked the men if either of them had been in the room earlier that day or if they knew of someone that was supposed to be in the room in the morning, they said no.
“I now have a clock radio with a hole in the front and it is going to stay that way until I get justice from this University,” Waslenko said about his iPod dock.
“It is unfortunate that I can no longer put any faith in my safety and the safety of my belongings knowing that Hofstra is not only a den of lions, but [alleged] thieves,” he added.
