Editor estimates paper lost nearly $1,200 because of theft
January 26, 2004
CALIFORNIA -- Police at the
University of California at Santa Barbara are investigating the theft of more
than 2,300 copies of the Daily Nexus, the campus
newspaper.Newspapers were taken from racks Jan. 14 and thrown into
garbage cans and recycling bins, said Brendan Buhler, the newspaper’s
editor. Members of the newspaper staff found 2,393 papers in 10 trashcans.
Buhler reported the theft to the campus police. He said each newspaper
costs about 50 cents to produce, so the Daily Nexus lost nearly $1,200
from the theft.“When we first tried reporting it, the police told
us that free papers can’t be stolen,” Buhler said. When the
police were told that there was a charge for additional copies of the paper,
they began to investigate the matter as a theft. Signs posted on distribution
racks notify readers that the first copy of the paper is free and each
additional copy is $1.Campus police officer Mark Signa said that because
the newspaper put a value on the paper, stealing it is a crime. Without the
sign, the papers would be considered free and taking more than one would not
constitute theft, he said. Signa said there are no suspects, but police
are interviewing witnesses and going over tapes from video surveillance on
campus.“There are some people of interest that we’re looking
at,” Signa said.Signa said the thief could be charged with a
separate count of petty theft, a misdemeanor crime, for each location the papers
were stolen from. If found, the perpetrator could face a fine and up to one year
in county jail. Signa said the police department is handling the case,
but it will keep the dean of students informed. Both the police and the
university could take action if the perpetrator is a student.“It
is obviously a very sensitive issue,” Signa said. “[Nexus
staff members] are concerned over what happened and are taking it
personally.”Buhler said he didn’t know why the newspapers
were stolen.“If I had to guess, it was probably somebody who
wanted to keep their name out of the paper,” he said.Daily
Nexus staff members discovered the theft after a student government meeting
on Jan. 14. At the meeting, students said they were unable to find copies of
that day’s paper. One student government member saw an unidentified man
throwing away a large stack of newspapers.Buhler said that at first he
thought the newspaper was having delivery problems because “not every rack
was hit.” When he saw the pile of newspapers in the trash can, he called a
photographer, staff members and the police.The Daily Nexus has
encountered newspaper theft in the past. In 1997, thousands of copies of the
newspaper were stolen by the then-student government president who was brought
before a campus disciplinary committee.
For More Information: Visit the SPLC newspaper theft forum
© 2004 Student Press Law Center
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