By: Ken Kelly
A review of this year’s crime reports indicates a spike in the number of theft-related reports on Southern Adventist University’s campus.
Theft has been the most frequently reported campus crime in 2025, according to the Daily Crime Log provided by Campus Safety on Oct. 15. Residents and visitors have reported a total of 29 thefts and theft-related incidents on university property, according to the log. It showed that there were more reported thefts in the residence halls than any other place on campus this year.
Approximately 75.86% of reported campus thefts occurred in residence hall dorm rooms, laundry rooms, and storage areas combined. Single incidents at an academic bike rack, academic building, off-campus residence housing, on-campus residential housing and the outdoor track each accounted for 3.45%. Thefts at Hulsey made up 6.90% of total cases. In an email to the Accent, Shawn Haas, associate director of Campus Safety, noted that the trend for reported thefts had been on the decline from 2022 to 2024. However, he also acknowledged the spike in theft reports for 2025, 17 of which he attributed to a resident assistant stealing items from dorm rooms in Talge Hall.
“We have had zero reports from Thatcher South this year,” Haas stated. “We have had 18 reports from Talge Hall this year. This counts the 17 thefts I mentioned in my earlier email regarding the suspected RA.” According to the daily crime log, other incidents were also reported inside the residence halls, including two laundry thefts and one storage room theft. Among the reported campus thefts were two incidents from the Hulsey Wellness Center. One involved the theft of a golf cart by a minor and the other described three juveniles who stole items from a vending machine, according to the crime log sent by Haas.
Other crime reports on campus included two unspecified academic buildings. According to the Daily Crime Log, one report mentioned personal property taken from a bike rack outside of an academic building, and the other involved a theft that occurred after an event was held.
The listed thefts have been marked as closed in the Daily Crime Log.
In total, 21 thefts were reported inside Talge and Thatcher Halls. However, the Daily Crime Log also listed reported thefts from other campus housing. This included one report from Southern Village and another from an undisclosed off-campus housing location.
According to an email from Lisa Hall, dean of students, the most common items that students report as missing are articles of clothing from the laundry rooms.
Hall described the process for reporting theft in the dorms.
“Deans listen to all reports about theft on campus and then generally recommend calling Campus Safety to document the report,” she stated. “Campus Safety and/or the student [will] make the decision whether to call the Collegedale Police or not.”
Despite this system, students expressed mixed feelings about the overall security of their personal items.
David Kochanski, a freshman nursing major and Talge Hall resident, said he has not had anything stolen from him but expressed concern over rumors of missing laundry items from Thatcher Hall.
Daisy Morgan, a junior strategic communication advertising major, described an experience where her laundry was stolen in Thatcher Hall.
“It stressed me out because I lost about half a load of laundry,” Morgan stated, “and the RA’s and deans did nothing about the situation.”
Ersie Herelle, a freshman nursing major, shared her thoughts on accountability.
“I don’t really think there is much the campus can do,” she said. “We are adults and must be accountable for our items.”
Hall described crime prevention efforts in the residence halls to minimize thefts and make residents feel safe.
“Our door locking system allows tracking,” she said. “We remind students to not leave personal items in public spaces, stay with their laundry and not tape or prop room doors open, giving others access to the room.”
