Bad weekend for Binnie

Max Binnie couldn’t catch a break this Victoria Day weekend.

The AMS communications manager returned to Kingston after a weekend trip to discover that both his office in the John Deutsch University Centre and University Street house had been broken into.

Just after 5 a.m. on Sunday, May 20, campus security was alerted by a custodian that the window to the AMS communications office was wide open. A further investigation revealed the office had been broken into and two computer towers, valued at two thousand dollars each, were missing.

According to Louise Fish, head of campus security, the unidentified thieves broke into the offices through the window in the early hours of Sunday morning. The screen had been cut away and the office door left ajar.

The Kingston Police identification unit was called in to dust for fingerprints.

The towers were used by the promotions and communications managers and had not been bolted to the desks because of the recent reshuffling of the AMS staff.

At the time the office had no security system, but Binnie said that would change immediately.

“The important documents are stored on the network and none of our current projects will be set back because of the theft, but we don’t want this to happen again,” said Binnie, who called the theft “unprofessional.”

“They left a lot of valuable items that are easier to carry, like software, printers, stereos and monitors,” Binnie said. “If you steal a computer, don’t steal the part that has the serial number on it.” Binnie’s house was also broken into this weekend. Both Binnie and Fish doubted there was a connection between the two thefts. Because there is traditionally an increase in break-ins on holiday weekends, Binnie’s double misfortune was probably just a coincidence, said Fish.

None of his personal belongings were taken in that break-in, said Binnie.

“My housemates had gone out for a beer and when they came back, everything small was gone,” he said.

A Sony Playstation and a watch were among the items taken from the house.

Break-ins are a common occurrence on long weekends and this is not the first time this year offices in the JDUC have been targeted by holiday thieves. Between December 27 and January 2, thefts occurred in the AMS offices, the post office and a construction site.