Dartmouth tries to curb dining hall theft

HANOVER, N.H. — Last week, late-night visitors to the Collis Café found the rear entrance to the venue roped off, its glass doors shut — new measures to prevent food theft.

The change comes in response to increasing rates of theft, Dartmouth Dining Services director David Newlove said.

He said thefts are particularly common Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights.

“I can’t seem to explain it, but there seems to be a correlation between bad behavior and alcohol and drug use,” he said.

Monitoring student behavior had become too difficult for the staff, Newlove said, so the doors were closed to provide a “choke point.” With the doors closed, students may only enter or exit from the space behind the cash registers.

The decision to close the doors may be reversed if student behavior changes, Newlove said.

Other precautions DDS has taken to prevent theft include installing cameras at the Class of 1953 Commons, Novack Café and the Courtyard Café, Newlove said. A manager at the Hop now monitors student lines during late night hours, he added.

Students usually take items that are shelved far from the view of the cashiers, Newlove said, but may be bold enough to steal other items.

“They take milk and juices, even whole entrees if they have their way,” Newlove said. “Anything students consume, they might walk out with it.”

Employees catch around 60 students a day attempting to steal food across all DDS venues, he said, adding that this number likely represents only 10 percent of total theft.

Of 18 students surveyed informally by The Dartmouth, 11 said that they had stolen from a DDS venue, with ’53 Commons being the most common. All but one said they knew someone who stole an item from a DDS establishment.

DDS does not track the amount in dollars lost to