After a University email was sent regarding nationwide thefts of catalytic converters, a UW-Eau Claire student realized that students were targets, too. In addition to campus police working to identify the culprit of this theft, they also dealt with a lost purse and a stolen desktop power center this past week. 

Theft of Catalytic Converter

An officer was dispatched to make contact with a student who reported a stolen catalytic converter from their vehicle. 

The student stated that she had seen the email from the Dean of Students regarding stolen catalytic converters on campus. The owner said that she drives an SUV, and the email specified that SUV vehicles are prime targets for these types of thefts. 

The complainant said she went out to her car on Feb. 18 around noon to go home for the weekend. When she started her car, she noticed it was extremely loud and remained that way for the entire two hour ride home. 

When she arrived home, she checked under her vehicle to make sure everything was okay and she noticed her exhaust pipe had been cut and the catalytic converter was missing. 

The vehicle had been parked in Bollinger Field Lot from Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. until noon on Feb. 18 without being driven during that time period. The complainant suspects that the theft happened within that time frame. 

The student sent photos of the vehicle to an officer and completed a written statement form. 

Lost Purse 

A UW-Eau Claire campus officer received a phone call regarding a lost purse. The caller advised that she realized she had left her purse in the auditorium of Schofield Hall after attending a play on Feb. 19. The purse contained a driver’s license, cash and credit cards. 

The officer attempted to locate the lost item in the area the caller claimed she had left it. The officer then walked backstage and asked the student workers who were taking down the set for the play if they had seen it. One of the students said they had found the purse when cleaning the auditorium after the play. 

The student retrieved the purse and handed it over to the officer with everything still inside. The officer then notified the complainant that her purse and credit cards were retrieved and that she could pick it up at any time. The purse was returned to the owner. 

Desktop Power Center Stolen 

On Feb. 15, a university official requested that a police report be generated regarding a stolen desktop power center from the Marketplace in Davies Student Center.

The official explained that they had recently purchased a desktop power center as a trial item to see how they would work on the booths and gauge student interest. The power center was installed on Jan. 31 onto one of the booths on the first floor of Davies. 

On Feb. 14, the official noticed the item was missing and conducted a building walkthrough before determining the item was stolen. The power center was clamped securely onto the table surface and plugged in the wall, therefore the official believed it did not fall off the table and get misplaced. 

Snyder can be reached at  [email protected]