Burglars struck Hanover over winter break, stealing computers and other valuable electronic items from nine Dartmouth students' residences.
The Department of Safety and Security and the Hanover Police Department have been investigating the crimes, but say they have yet to form a list of suspects.
"We've been more or less inundated," said Hanover Police Sergeant Frank Moran. The robberies were first reported Dec. 16 and new reports came in last Friday, and Moran said more may be discovered as students continue to return to campus.
Nearly all of the burglaries reported so far included the pilfering of computer equipment and other high-end electronic equipment, such as stereo systems and televisions.
Working closely with Hanover police, Lauren Cummings '72, an investigator for Safety and Security, is also examining the burglaries.
Regarding possible connections between the crimes, Cummings said, "At this point, it's hard to speculate ... there is no significant, unifying theme."
Cummings and Moran both said they were working on the initial stages of the investigations, collecting evidence and interviewing victims. They have yet to form a list of suspects.
Moran said three burglaries occurred in the apartments at 41 West Wheelock St., one at 6 South College St., one at Chi Heorot fraternity and one at Maxwell Hall.
Cummings said two more burglaries happened in Andres Hall and one more at the Rockefeller Center for the Social Sciences. Moran said he had not heard about these incidents.
The specific details of each burglary vary from incident to incident.
Andy Martin '96 said his apartment at 6 South College Street was burglarized while someone was still residing there. He said his roommates, B.J. Grotton '96 and Kyle Webb '97, had a computer, a printer and a stereo stolen.
Martin said Methembe Ndlovu '97, a friend of the three men, had been in town during the break and staying at their apartment.
Ndlovu left the apartment unlocked when he was away from it Christmas day, Martin said. When he returned home the next day, he found the thieves had relocked the door, effectively locking him out because he had kept his key inside.
"Some alcohol was stolen from the refrigerator too, so it could have been underage kids," Martin said. "People were upset, but there's nothing you can really do about it."
Martin said the police had been very helpful, but also said, "They've sort of been busy. I haven't heard from them in a couple of days."
For the apartments at 41 West Wheelock St., Jerry Rich, the complex's landlord, said the perpetrators could have scaled the walls of the building to reach the apartments' balconies.
"The tenants didn't lock their balcony doors," Rich said.
Karen Lefrak '98, who lives in at 41 West Wheelock, said she came home on Dec. 31 to find that her computer along with her roommate's computer and television had been stolen.
Lefrak said she locked her apartment's balcony door, but the burglar broke the lock to enter. She said police officers fixed the lock for her.
Moran said the cat burglar possibility may be true for two of the thefts at 41 West Wheelock, but the third apartment lacks a balcony.
In addition, one of the three apartments had its stereo stolen rather than its computer. Moran noted that the disregarded computer was older than the others stolen and of less value.
Martin said there is most likely a connection between the three crimes at the apartment complex, but he said he did not know enough to make that assumption about any of the other burglaries.
At Chi Heorot fraternity, Dan Bloom '96 had his Powerbook stolen from his room. He said he returned from winter break on Dec. 26 and found his computer missing, but said his door was not damaged.
"Speaking with police, I think it was someone with a key," Bloom said.
Cummings said two burglaries occurred in Andres Hall, where students lost two Performa 636 Macintosh computers.
Two upholstered chairs were stolen from Rockefeller Center, Cummings said. He noted that the chairs are expensive and no longer manufactured, so will they be difficult to replace.
