Thieves Strike Leverett House

More than $5,000 worth of items, including cash and three laptop computers, were stolen in a string of four thefts at Leverett House over the past two weeks.

According to Leverett House Superintendent Paul Hegarty, the thefts occurred while the building was accessible to many people, including Dorm Crew workers, plumbers, carpenters, and electricians, all of whom were preparing the building for summer occupancy.

At least one of the thefts occurred when a laptop was stolen from a student’s room whose door had been propped open by Dorm Crew, a team of students employed by the University to clean the dormitories.

Thefts occurred June 14, June 17, and two on June 22, according to the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) log. Hegarty said that victims included summer school proctors, reunion workers, and a person living in a guest suite.

A Dorm Crew worker, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Dorm Crew was only working in Leverett at the time of one of the thefts that occurred on the 22nd.

Eric I. Kouskalis ’07, a summer school proctor, said that his laptop computer, several computer accessories, jewerly, and a credit card were all stolen from his room on the eighth floor of F Tower when he was moved in last Wednesday, June 22.

He said that during the afternoon, he left his room, leaving his bedroom door unlocked but locking the hallway door. When he returned, the hallway door was propped open and his laptop was gone.

Lisa J. Bloomberg ’08, a Dorm Crew trial captain who was inspecting rooms on Kouskalis’ floor said that another Dorm Crew employee had propped open the door so that it could be inspected.

Dorm Crew is given a master key for all the rooms they clean. Residents were supposed to be notified that inspections were going to take place, but Kouskalis said he did not see any notice.

“My suite was not supposed to be inspected,” said Kouskalis, who called Dorm Crew “very careless about propping doors open.”

Kouskalis said he filed an insurance claim with Harvard. He also said that his stolen credit card and jewerly were found behind a washing machine in Leverett G Tower the night of the theft.

After Kouskalis reported the theft, an HUPD officer unpropped approximately ten doors, according to Kouskalis, who said he saw a copy of the police report.

HUPD was unavailable for comment over the weekend.

Hegarty said that the large number of people working in the building make thefts difficult to avoid.

“I don’t really place the blame on Dorm Crew,” he said. “The kids are great workers and they were here last year and did a great job and nothing happened. Instead, the flaw is in the system, but we have such a short turnaround time that what we have now is the best we can do.”

—Staff writer William C. Marra contributed to the reporting of this story.

—Staff writer Adam M. Guren can be reached at guren@fas.harvard.edu.