By Melissa Werthmann, News Staff
Huntington News: Are the thefts mostly committed by Northeastern students?
Bob Perenda: Mostly Northeastern students, mostly freshmen. Not all freshmen, but mostly. I caught a senior a few weeks ago.
HN: How often do people steal some items and pay for others?
BP: Fifty percent of the time they’ll steal something and not pay for anything. Other times they’ll put the more expensive item in their pocket, like medicine, and then pay for like a ninety-nine cent Arizona Iced Tea or something. It’s not a fun part of the job either. I wish people wouldn’t do it at all.
HN: How do you decide how to prosecute offenders?
BP: Generally, I won’t let them go because I want to file a report to have a record of the incident. If they are cooperative I’ll usually just go through Northeastern’s Office of Student Conduct (OSCCR). If they do flee, are uncooperative or disruptive, I’ll file charges as well with the Roxbury District Court. [If] they are a repeat person and I know they’ve been doing it for a while and I haven’t caught them, I’ll go through Roxbury District Court. And if the dollar value warrants me to prosecute, I’ll do that.
HN: How do you make sure offenders do not flee before Northeastern Division of Public Safety (NUPD) officers arrive?
BP: I’ll let them know right off the bat that I have video surveillance of them taking something. Nine times out of 10, people are cooperative. It’s like most things, if you are cooperative, it’s easier on everyone, including myself.
HN: Has the number of thefts increased or decreased during your time as manager?
BP: I think it’s maintained the same. I think it’s more when the incoming freshmen come in, you know, in September or January. I think what they don’t realize is when they do steal, it can potentially hurt them in the future.
