What It's Like to Lose: Theft at Stuy

Everyone has objects they cherish, from sentimental trinkets to expensive watches and jewelry. It’s bad enough to lose them, but even worse is to have them stolen. Not knowing who took your items, worrying about their fate, and having no guarantee of their return, you might feel just as lost as your belongings. Aside from their homes and commutes, students spend the majority of their time at school, suggesting that recent disappearances indicate theft at Stuyvesant. 

Sophomore Isha Rashid described, “I forgot my jacket in my homeroom and left my wallet in my jacket. I had $40 stolen from my wallet. And the wallet was still there; it was just the cash that was missing.” This is a clear case of theft with intention. Belongings can be ransacked for possible profit rather than taken, leaving students without answers. 

Another student, junior Lera Baikoff, had her entire backpack stolen from a hallway on the 9th floor. “I would have gym, and [my bag] wouldn't fit in the locker, so I would leave it [outside] ‘cause nobody touches bags at Stuyvesant, like that's the norm,” she said. Unfortunately, her assumption was wrong. “I come back; my bag's not there,” Baikoff recalled. Many Stuyvesant students are comfortable leaving their belongings unattended because they believe it’s unlikely for someone to take them. Thus, some leave their bags outside of their gym lockers or in hallways, much to the chagrin of the Physical Education teachers; some move students’ belongings to less conspicuous places, including the locker bathroom stalls and Mr. Bologna’s office, warning students every year. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, even if Stuyvesant is typically a trustworthy community. 

           In fact, there has recently been a string of thefts in the girls’ gym locker rooms. Some students who had left their lockers open or bags outside returned to find items missing, including wallets and credit cards, which were used by the thieves. These were reported as either lost or stolen property. In order to prevent such situations, Assistant Principal of Safety Brian Moran emphasized the importance of lockers. “All of the girls who reported something missing all had the same thing in common: they didn't lock up their stuff,” he stated. While the locker room thefts were unfortunate, they could have easily been prevented had students secured their items in their lockers. 

          Still, when dealing with serious theft cases such as this, the administration follows a certain procedure. First, the item is only considered stolen if it has been missing for over a day, and if theft is a reasonable conclusion, such as if an item is snatched from a student’s hands. However,  most reported items are classified as lost or missing. In addition to reporting to the school, students may also file a police report. 

          The administration initially told Baikoff to return the next day, but after further insistence, they looked at the camera footage from the hallway where her bag was stolen. “They looked at the camera footage, found out who it was, but that was at the end of the day,” Baikoff said. Thankfully, Baikoff was able to retrieve her belongings, and the perpetrator was appropriately reprimanded by suspension; theft is handled as a serious misdemeanor at Stuyvesant, with caught students facing a reported infraction on their permanent record. 

          However, it is usually difficult for the administration to resolve similar cases. Information is often limited besides camera footage, which can be unreliable at times due to a limited range of view. Still, students who experience theft should connect with the administration immediately, as this helps them take action as soon as theft is evident, preventing unnecessary stress. 

Other cases are not exactly theft, but unfortunate occurrences. “One day as I was going to art appreciation, I got onto the seven to nine escalator, but while doing so I dropped my five-dollar bill, and then I saw it flutter as it descended so gracefully—like a butterfly. And it was snatched away,” sophomore Jessica Ho described. “Two people [...] saw that bill on the ground, and they were like ‘Oh my gosh! It’s a five-dollar bill. We can buy McDonald’s with this money.’” This “finders, keepers” mentality from as long ago as elementary school stays with many into high school and likely adulthood as well; a spare bill or coin lying around is considered up for grabs. 

Senior Brandon Waworuntu echoed this sentiment. “The lost and found is also known as the thrift at Stuy,” he said. “People just take; once it’s in the lost and found, it’s pretty much public, and you know, up to grabs.” As upsetting as this may be, it is easy to see how just one missing jacket or book among many can be easily overlooked. Of course, while theft is an easy assumption, some students use the lost and found as an open resource, for example, to borrow an umbrella due to unexpected weather conditions. These items are typically returned.

Thankfully, most students relay that they have not experienced any theft, nor do they know anyone who has. “I feel like it is a very trusting community. My friends just leave their bags, whether that be [at] the sophomore bar, junior atrium, or senior atrium, and they would just get a snack outside and come back and it’ll still be there,” Waworuntu explained. Though unfortunate circumstances may arise, it is comforting to know that Stuyvesant is typically honest and understanding. These values help deter people from stealing, making crowded areas around the school, such as the atriums, suitable to place belongings.

Moran added, “I don’t think theft necessarily is common. Students not taking care of their belongings, locking their stuff up, and things being reported lost in the lost and found is a big problem at Stuy.” There is a distinction between theft and loss; a lost item is not guaranteed to be found, but that does not mean it was stolen. Moran used the example of a student who was confident her laptop was stolen: “She even thought of the person who took it. We had this whole investigation looking for it with cameras and everything else. And then one of the workers from Terry’s walked in with her laptop,” he described. “It’s important to retrace your steps, but also not just assume that somebody stole it.” Before immediately jumping to a drastic conclusion, students should evaluate the possibilities and only raise alarm if they are completely sure that a serious situation has arisen.

Outside of school, however, is a different story. “[Theft] happens when non-Stuy students are involved. At one of the football games this year at Pier 40, a bunch of people got their stuff stolen into because it was a public space, but people are just so used to the fact that Stuyvesant is such a trusting community that they just left their bags on the field while they hung out with friends. A bunch of people got their bags stolen—these people were the ones who had the $200 backpacks,” Waworuntu described. Many students, after having left their belongings alone at least once within Stuyvesant, often forget that the privacy they and their possessions are accustomed to is not guaranteed outside the school building. As students travel to sports games, competitions, and similar events, it is important to keep in mind that they are in public settings, where there is no longer an established community as a safety net.

But how can Stuyvesant remedy this issue? Rashid suggested, “I think the best way for the administration to handle this is by promoting honesty and telling people not to steal wallets, and if they find something, to just return it back to the teacher and Mr. Moran’s office.” This could be implemented through posters around the hallways or homeroom announcements, though the effectiveness of this is hard to determine. “I don’t think [theft is] preventable because there’s a lot of people at Stuy, and not all of them are gonna be honest no matter how hard we promote it, but it still helps and may reduce the amount of times that theft occurs,” Rashid added. The sentiment of turning in lost items is well-known, but advertising the consequences of committing theft would help dissuade thoughts of theft.

 Of course, students are responsible for being careful with their items as well. Keeping your bag attended to at all times, storing items in your locker, limiting the spread of locker codes, tracking your devices, and adding labels can be appropriate measures to prevent thievery. Taking precautions before leaving for a quick meal or running to the print station by having a friend or large group, especially by the atriums, keep watch is a quick and simple solution. Being open to different possibilities and prioritizing any possible concerns is just as important as being optimistic. We can’t control what others do, but we can control what we do. Students should stay mindful and aware of their surroundings and possessions, no matter the place.