Nearly $5,000 in equipment stolen from UMTV

UMTV, the campus television station, lost nearly $5,000 in equipment after a burglary committed without forcible entry in the Tawes Building.

The station lost two 42-inch plasma monitors, one silver RCA television, three backdrops (including an anchor set backdrop), a studio light and other equipment in the burglary, police said.

Several doors were left unlocked during the weekend because contractors were scheduled to work in the building, University Police spokesman Paul Dillon said.

The burglary was first noticed on Sunday when a contractor noticed tools missing from his toolbox, Dillon said.

Lee Thornton, interim dean of the school of journalism, said that Al Perry, the station's engineering technician, usually checks to make sure all doors are locked at the end of the day. However, during the Tawes renovation project, Thornton said construction workers, going in and out of the renovation site, sometimes leave doors unlocked, or even ajar.

"Apparently, leaving doors open is a big problem over there," Thornton said. "One of our managers came to the station in the morning [Wednesday, after the robbery] and found a door propped wide open."

Thornton said UMTV staff members are doing what they can to keep doors locked, and security cameras will be installed inside the building no later than next week. Meanwhile, the journalism school has already ordered a $1,200 replacement backdrop for the anchor desk.

The school may not be able to replace the rest of the equipment right away.

"The budget is tight right now," Thornton said. "The plasma TVs aren't crucial to what we do at the station, but make no mistake: This hurts us and hurts our program."

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