It was only a matter of time before criminals realized the worth of the college textbook.
Sometimes in the several hundred-dollar range, the books can be returned for full price early in the semester or sold back at the end for a pittance of what a student purchased them for.
Hence, it’s no surprise that people have started absconding with students’ textbooks, attempting to cash in on return rates.
At Florida Atlantic University, they’ve gone missing from the library and the breezeway. Turn your head, and you’re liable to lose a book. Read this story from the University of Florida from over the summer.
So FAU police this fall began a new tracking system for textbooks. It’s nothing like Lojack, no, not that advanced, but police are registering books with students so that if a student returns a book to a bookstore, they’ll have to show ID and prove it’s them.
“We’ve had quite a few thefts of books, usually at the end of the semester,” said an FAU police officer whose last name is Jones, but who didn’t want to give her first name. “The whole operation was founded on the premise of catching thieves.”
About 440 textbooks were stamped with an FAU police insignia on the inside front cover between Aug. 21 and Sept. 4. All the books are kept in a police log.
Officer Jones said bookstore employees typically are the ones who call police. They’ll recognize the same person returning several books and realize something isn’t up.
Students can still register their books with FAU Police. Call 561-297-3500 in Boca Raton.
