As a result of large losses incurred at The Huddle due to theft, a new state of the art security system has been installed to combat the problem. Though The Huddle has always used cameras and plain-clothes security to catch shoplifters, these measures were not enough, as theft in the store was having an extremely negative affect on the business' profits.

"The loss of product in the store has been at an all-time high during the last year," said James LaBella, general manager of food services at The Huddle. "The honest people are having to pay more because of the dishonest people," LaBella said. Cameras have been installed in the Huddle, granting visual access to areas previously obstructed under the former system.

LaBella, who is extremely pleased with the new system, and who is responsible for first confronting the students, says that he will never approach anyone unless he is sure.

However, he maintains, "We've always had theft in the Huddle, and we've always caught people, but now (with the new system) it is just a lot easier."

Though there has been no specific trend to the theft in terms of items stolen, or the time of day at which the theft occurs, offenders are obviously more likely to steal higher priced items such as cough and cold medicines. After many students have been caught, their common response is that these items are high cost items towards which they did not want to use their Flex points, said LaBella.

However, an interesting trend that was also acknowledged by the head of Campus Security, Rex Rakow, is that "people that take things almost always have funds on them to pay for the goods."

This trend seems to indicate that the theft is often done for the thrill of the act, or simply because people feel that they can get away with it, which is most often the case in an open environment such as the Huddle, according to Rakow.

The policy of The Huddle, according to LaBella, is to prosecute offenders. If a student is caught stealing, campus security is immediately contacted to come and arrest the student. From there, the offender is interviewed by security and then sent on to the office of Residence Life.

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