POOI YEE LOH

A RECENT break-in that occurred at one of Curtin University’s on-campus residences resulted in the loss of a laptop for a student at Kurrajong Village.

The victim of the late-night break in, Michael Yan, 22, hopes that police can track down the culprit who stole his laptop, a Sony Vaio valued at $3,000.

In the incident, the secured window screen was removed and the window sills were broken to access Mr Yan’s room in March.

He said that he had left the curtain half open when he walked out from the bedroom.

He recalled, “I was in the kitchen, and my housemate and I heard a big (loud) noise … when I got back into my room, I saw the iron screen has been broken, it was rocking … the (electric) fan was pushed to the ground and my laptop was stolen.”

He posted this incident on Facebook and got an overwhelming response concerning the university’s security.

According to the Curtin Security Guide, students should always close their curtains when they leave the room and valuables, such as laptops, mobiles and passports, ought to be kept away from view of the window.

However, Mr Yan was disappointed with the reaction of the Kurrajong Village office and their attitude in handling the case.

The housing service of Kurrajong Village has refused to cover the loss of Yan’s laptop.

“They asked me if I would like to borrow an old laptop from Norm [Manager of Kurrajong Village]… Of course I’m not satisfied with their response!” he said.

The office responded that there were policies in the residential licence agreement that the Kurrajong Village residents are not to breach the rules in the residence handbook.

“It was written in the handbook; they are not supposed to leave the curtains open at night when the lights are on as people walking by can see into the room. Never leave your laptops in sight,” housing assistants said.

Mr Yan also revealed that he used to think staying in campus was really safe. But after the incident, he will not recommend his friends to stay on campus.

When asked about the security here, he responded, “I think it is not just Curtin University; I think it is Bentley.”

Curtin University is one of the largest universities in Western Australia which have significant numbers of international and local students.

The university has signed a security agreement with the Bentley Police to protect the safety and the well-being of students.

The security agreement was signed after several cases of robbery occurred on the Bentley campus.

A Curtin Security Upgrade Project Team works with consultants to make sure that the university remains a safe environment for students.

About $10,000,000 has been allocated for the university’s security upgrade initiatives.

Both international and local students have expressed different points of view when asked their views on the security and the break-in case at the Bentley campus.