Quinnipiac University students received an email from Chief of Public Safety Tony Reyes on Oct. 21 regarding a significant increase in theft at the York Hill Campus dining hall. Theft has increased for all dining halls on campus this year and Reyes warns students that it will not be tolerated by the university.
In the email Reyes stated, “Any student caught stealing will be required to reimburse the cost of the stolen items and will face formal disciplinary action, including being charged with theft.”
Theft is a violation of both university policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Additional signs and security cameras have been installed in dining halls to deter and monitor any continued theft.
“Over the past few weeks, the Chartwell’s staff observed a pattern of repeated incidents, which led us to take proactive steps to address the issue and remind students of community expectations,” Reyes wrote to The Chronicle.
Chartwells is a sector of Compass Group PLC, one of the largest food management companies in the United States. Their staff oversees and manages dining at Quinnipiac across all three campuses.
“Theft is tracked through a combination of staff observations, security camera footage, and reports from dining services. While not every incident is formally reported, we rely on patterns and feedback from staff to assess the scope of the issue,” Reyes wrote.
The staff are aware of the most common forms of theft used by students.
“Our students often put beverages in backpacks, and jackets and pockets, and the same thing with (convenience store) items,” Norbert Ponte, the resident Chartwell district manager at Quinnipiac, said. “But also it’s when someone goes to the station and eats the item before they get to the register.”
(Tyler Mignault)
These forms of theft are costing the university as they pay for more food items then they sell.
“(Theft accounts for) about 1 to 2% of food costs, so it equates to quite a bit,” Ponte said.
What students may not realize is that these added costs for the university are also directly impacting them. As theft increases, the university must buy more food products to account for the products that will be stolen, which forces them to raise the price of items in the dining halls.
“That means we are paying for more because we need to buy more to cover the ones that have been stolen,” Ponte said.“If theft were to decrease, (students) could expect lower prices.”
In an anonymous poll conducted by The Chronicle, 112 students — which is 66% of students who responded — indicated that they have never stolen from any of the dining halls. 58 students, or 34%, say they have. “While minor incidents have occurred in the past, we’ve seen a clear uptick this semester in both frequency and volume,” Reyes wrote.
The sudden increase is concerning. It has prompted the university to explore various tools to reduce theft and deter students.
“We are currently exploring several options, including increased Public Safety staff presence, improved signage and potential use of technology to deter theft,” Reyes wrote.
Ponte said he is in communication with PepsiCo, who have created coolers with Artificial Intelligence technology to respond to theft reports from multiple universities. In order to remove a beverage from the cooler students would have to swipe their cards and pay on the spot.
“They’ve heard the noise as well from a lot of different universities, so it is definitely prompting them to see what they can do to help,” Ponte said.
For many companies, theft from customers is a serious problem that requires them to adapt their technology to protect their own profitability. The new technology available is a consideration for Quinnipiac if theft continues to increase.
“Any changes will be implemented with the student experience in mind – we want to maintain a welcoming environment while also ensuring fairness and accountability,” Reyes wrote. “Our goal is not to penalize, but to promote a culture of respect and shared responsibility.If the situation improves, we hope to avoid any further measures.”
Chartwells agrees with this sentiment.
“I just want students to know that we are trying to make the best experience for students. Obviously pricing is a concern for students and it’s also something that we treat seriously,” Ponte said. “We want to provide as many options as we can to the students and faculty and staff.”
