Amy Muttera still remembers the sickening feeling she felt when noticing her new Sony Vaio laptop was stolen.

After returning to her dorm room in Sierra Hall, after a five minute trip to say hi to her neighbor, she noticed the door she left closed and unlocked was wide open.- –

“I was in such disbelief,” Muttera said. “I still remember looking around my room just-hoping maybe I had just placed it someplace other than where it always set on my desk.”

After 20 minutes of searching, she came to the realization that her laptop, a graduation gift from her older brother, had been stolen.-

Muttera’s situation is not uncommon.-

“Residential halls have continuously been a huge problem for us,”-said Sgt. Kelly Clark from department of public safety at University Police.- “Students lose their laptops all the time in the resident halls and student union.-

“We try to put out as much information as we can to help prevent this,” Clark said.- With new-students coming in each year, it seems like a never-ending task to inform people about campus theft.-

“It’s absolutely hard,” Clark said. “Our problem is-constantly informing them about using good judgment and we continuously need to reach new audiences.”

Several computers where-taken-from Mendocino Hall Sept. 5, along with an undisclosed amount of money.-

“We had a person of interest that we looked at,” Clark said.- “It was unsuccessful but we do have the serial numbers… it could be years before we find that property.”-

Although the computers have yet to be found, Nick Burnett, chairman of the department of communication studies, who works in Mendocino Hall said everything is being done to protect equipment.

“Students should know that they are only hurting themselves by not reporting-what they know about the incident,” Burnett said.

But, preventive measures can be taken.

Chris Jordan, who works for Office Depot, said people usually do not take up on precautionary options.

“We sell between 40 to 50 laptops a month and we do offer laptop locks, but people just aren’t buying them even though they cost around $20,” Jordan said.-

Clark said without knowing a computer’s serial number, it is difficult to recover stolen computers.

“We are not an oasis at Sac State,” Clark said. “Crime does happen and people need to work with the police in reporting crime.- We need the public’s help-because it should be-a partnership with our community in the fight against theft.”

Kendra Keene can be reached at [email protected]