Locks to change today

The School of Music says it plans to change the exterior door locks to each music school building Wednesday to deter future burglaries.\n"I think everything has been ordered, but it's just a matter of everything being changed by Wednesday," said Music School Budget Director Royce Deckard.\nSince the theft of the music school's master keys at the end of August, a $20,000 violin, a $5,000 bow and nearly $5,000 of video equipment are missing.\nDeckard said before the locks are replaced each faculty member must be contacted and issued a key designed to access the replacement locks.\n"We have to notify everyone who needs keys so we don't leave people standing outside and locked out," Deckard said. "We've got to make sure we've contacted all our faculty. Now we're in the process of seeing how many keys we must get cut."\nAccording to the Physical Plant, there are more than 400 locks needing replacement. Six different manufacturers are responsible for production of the locks with certain locks being made by one company and other locks by another. All locks were accessible from the original master keys. The original master keys unlocked every door in each music building. However, some keys only open individual rooms, and others may only open specific parts of one music building. Before replacement locks can be installed, this locking component hierarchy must be determined to create a new key system.\nFor now, the Physical Plant is working on preventing unauthorized entry by replacing the nearly 40 exterior locks on music school buildings.\nJames Holt, a doctoral music student, said he has not had any experience with burglary at the school but has heard the buzz about recent thefts.\n"They probably haven't changed the locks in a long time," Holt said. "I think anything they do to bring peace of mind is a good idea, and if that means changing the locks then change the locks."\nAn assault at the School of Music on janitor Kaylif Bennett a week ago was followed by the theft of a 55-pound safe Saturday. IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said the police have increased patrols, and rekeying exterior locks is a step in the right direction.\n"We'll still maintain a high uniform presence until such time that we are confident we won't have future larceny," Minger said. "We don't have authority to tell people what to do when protecting their property, but whatever transpired to cause them to wait as long as they did may have been beyond their control."\nMinger said the IUPD is still interviewing people believed to be connected with the only known suspect.\n"This is a little more difficult than working one particular burglary," Minger said. "There are several standard things police departments do in cases involving missing property, including checking places where people try to give away and sell stolen property."\nAnyone with information about the thefts or the assault is asked to contact the IUPD at 855-4111.\n-- Contact senior writer Mitch Blacher at mblacher@indiana.edu.