The office of the Rocky Mountain Student Media Corp. was broken into Friday and Saturday night, according to a preliminary viewing of live security feeds.
The Lory Student Center’s renovation caused RMSMC, the parent company of the Collegian, to relocate this year to 706 South College Avenue near the northeast corner of campus.
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“I think this is a minor inconvenience for a staff that has had to deal with a lot more. We’ve had to report on two student suicides, three sexual assaults, a flood, other major breaking news events and all without an advisor,” said Andrew Carrera, editor in chief of the Collegian. “There’s nothing stopping us from stepping over this minor inconvenience and moving forward.”
“It’s truly unfortunate that this happened but it’s something we can grow stronger from,” Digital Media Manager Hannah Glennon added. “I’m just glad no one was hurt.”
According to security cameras inside the building, apparently three perpetrators stole five computers and a hard drive. The dollar value of the stolen items has yet to be tabulated.
The newsroom surveillance equipment taped the perpetrators.
“I know we have been alluding to the possibility of this occuring this semester with the staff, including a formal safety training and several emails sent out about safety, but nothing could have been done to prevent this break in and all we can be thankful for is how no one was present to be harmed,” said Logan Martinez, editor in chief of College Ave.
“I hope that it’s a one time thing and that it doesn’t happen again… I know we’re thinking about getting a heavier-duty lock on the door,” CTV station manager Katie Spencer said. “The most important thing right now is safety for the staff. You can replace computers but you can’t replace people.”
Brennan Allen, web operations manager and broadcast engineer, was the second staffer on the scene. Allen said everything at the office was wide open and things were strewn about.
“The cameras are motion sensitive and only record when someone’s in there,” Allen said. “You could see hooded figures walking around. They were wearing masks. You could see them with wire cutters taking the cameras out.”
After reviewing the camera feeds, Allen could confirm that the perpetrators also broke in Friday night to scout out the place.
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“They were scouting out the place so we were able to get a full-face shot of the people looking up,” Allen said. “Now it’s just up to the police department.”
“I’m glad no one was hurt. This kind of thing happens. It’s unfortunate people would steal from a college newspaper, but hopefully they’ll catch the guys,” KCSU Station Manager Darin Hinman said. “This just reiterates the importance of safety and security.”
Collegian Campus Editor Kate Simmons can be reached at news@collegian.com.
