Hanover Police Department personnel are continuing to investigate the Jan. 5 theft of Dartmouth College electronics from Silsby Hall. The crime, which involved the removal of computers and projecting equipment worth over $25,000, remains unsolved.
Hanover Police Department Detective Eric Bates identified the likely time frame for the crime as "Sunday evening, from 6 p.m. on." Initial evidence suggests the involvement of multiple perpetrators. Due to the number of suspicious individuals who are being investigated and the magnitude of the theft, Police Chief Nick Giaccone stated that "I can only assume that it was more than one [perpetrator]."
As of Tuesday, no arrests were made, no property was recovered and no individuals were classified as suspects. The Hanover Police investigators intend to interview and investigate two to three white males who are believed to be around twenty years of age. These individuals were seen in Silsby on the night of the theft, according to Detective Bates. He added, "there's nothing to suggest that they would be [Dartmouth students]." The Hanover Police Department has not released the names of the individuals in question.
Giaccone declined to comment on the specific methods being used in the investigation, but he noted that solving cases of theft often depend on breaks and leads. Each case is different, he said, but intervals of several weeks may pass between the crime and the key break. Significant breaks could include information from witnesses and insider informants or suspicious sales involving used equipment.
"Statistically, the chances of recovering [stolen property] range from 15 to 55 percent," Giaccone said.
The Silsby incident appears to be an isolated case of theft. When asked if any additional instances of serious theft had been reported in the greater Hanover community, Giaccone responded that he was not aware of any.
If the perpetrators were to be caught, they would be held responsible for what Chief Giaccone identified as a "felony, class A, punishable by seven to fifteen years in a state prison and a fine of $4,000."
