Robbery on Concordia Downtown Campus

Political Science Student Leader Details Theft of Department Property Late Last Semester

The theft took place in room H-1230 in late November. Photo Jonathan Caragay-Cook

A political science department projector was forcefully stolen from a seminar room on the twelfth floor of the Hall building on the week before Nov. 25.

According to PSSA president Jason Poirier Lavoie, two other associations were also robbed that same week.

There has been an ongoing investigation conducted by investigator-preventionist Lyne Denis of Concordia’s Security Department concerning thefts of this nature on campus.

The projector was chained to a table in seminar room H-1230, according Lavoie. The thief was unable to cut the chain and had to cut the table in half in order to pry the projector free, he explained.

“It was clean cut, saw-like, straight across,” Lavoie said.

The person used force, and tools. Camera footage was not of high enough quality to recognize a face, according to Lavoie.

It remains unclear how the thief gained access to the room. When the crime was discovered, the door was locked, intact, and tape was found on the door, he explained.

Lavoie has not heard of any recent thefts, and believes the person or people committing them have either stopped or slowed down. He still recommends that people be cautious.

“I think students should take precautions now to ensure that their property and their material stays safe, including professors,” he said.

Other departments have allegedly experienced robberies, however none have agreed to comment.

“It happened on multiple streets, multiple student offices,” Lavoie said, admitting that he doesn’t remember exactly which groups were affected.

According to Clea Desjardins, Senior Advisor and Media Relations at Concordia, there were nine incidents that occurred in the Mackay St. annexes in 2015.

There were three thefts, and six incidences of breaking and entering and vandalism. A student, staff member and one student association had their property stolen, she said.