Incident Lessons Learned: Theft and Security

Summary

HSE receives many incident reports involving theft. In 2022 a number of break-ins occurred in the Centennial Centre for Interdisciplinary Science (CCIS), which involved damage to office doors and items being stolen from desks and offices.

In December 2022 another unauthorized entry occurred. There was no physical break-in, however unlocked rooms, including one shared cold room, were accessed which resulted in the loss of equipment that was critical to teaching, learning and research.

Consequences

The direct loss of this equipment was mainly financial; however, there was also lost productivity since the equipment was unavailable for use. There was also the potential for loss of samples and controlled/regulated products. The string of theft incidents calls attention to other safety considerations associated with working on campuses that are largely open to the public:

1. When valuable items are left unsecured and easy to access, this can invite future theft incidents simply because the risk to the perpetrator appears low.
2. There is a correlation between theft and other higher-risk crimes such as violence and harassment. An increase in theft incidents has the potential to increase the risk to building occupants and their personal safety.
3. When crimes occur on campus, this can impact the psychological safety of employees causing discomfort, stress and fear.

Culture of Care

The Culture of Care initiative speaks to employees owning their own safety performance and that of others so everyone can go home safely each day. By taking precautions against theft, we can improve safety on our campuses. This includes both personal security and also psychological safety.

Call to Action

Theft on campus impacts everyone and so steps must be taken to minimize it:

1. Report all criminal incidents and suspicious activity to U of A Protective Services (UAPS)
2. Review the UAPS Theft Prevention website and implement controls in your area.
3. For shared spaces, all users must close and lock doors when the space is left unattended in order to deter theft and protect research materials, equipment and data.
4. Include security risks and controls on your hazard assessment. These can also be added to your inspection program so deficiencies can be caught and corrected before an incident occurs.

The University of Alberta is committed to the safety, health and well-being of our faculty, staff and students. Every day, we advance this commitment to safety through the Culture of Care.