Items were reported missing from the girls locker room on March 3 in the P.E. building.
After returning to their locker room following their first practice, some members of the girls soccer team discovered that their backpacks had been rifled through. Missing items included keys and wallets with cash.
Interim Director of Athletics David Ribbens said that the hallway video camera footage has been reviewed, but video did not provide conclusive indication of what happened to the missing items.
After the thefts, Michael McGehee, director of safety and security, began discussing with staff members countermeasures against future incidents.
“We went over the best practice in terms of walking the locker room periodically, speaking to individuals who enter the locker room that don’t necessarily have a valid reason to come into the locker room,” Mr. McGehee said.
Mr. McGehee added that the best way to prevent future incidents like this is by ensuring backpacks are kept inside lockers. Students who need an assigned locker can email athletics@ucls.uchicago.edu.
“If you don’t have space in your locker, leave them in your locker in the main high school, so that they’re always safe,” Mr. McGehee said. “And then also, if you don’t have to take an expensive item to school, don’t take it.”
Mr. Ribbens emphasized this countermeasure as the most effective way to prevent theft, and that parents of a student who had items stolen can file a police report with the University of Chicago Police.
Ninth grader Skylar Murphy, a member of the JV girls soccer team, began using her locker more frequently after hearing about the missing items.
“I do lock up my items just because there was some stealing happening on the soccer team, and I wanted to be safe,” Skylar said.
Syria Vegna-Spofford, a ninth grader, said she also stores her valuables in her locker, which does take some extra time.
“It takes me a lot of time to unlock it after [I arrive], and I try to be as efficient going to lunch as possible,” Syria said.
