The case of the disappearing motherboards

Sep 1, 1999 12:00 PM, Don Garbera

Recently, the Baruch College computer center was experiencing thefts of computer memory boards. Henry J. McLaughlin, director of public safety for the New York City college, immediately viewed the tapes from the computer center cameras - but didn't find anything amiss. "This was a real baffler; motherboards were walking, but nothing could be seen on the tapes," says McLaughlin. "To add to the mystery, all seemed normal at the card swipe turnstile station into the computer center. Also, the log of computer station assignments did not reveal anything unusual. I reviewed the tapes over and overagain. Eventually, one thing did begin to look a little unusual. A physically challenged individual, in a wheelchair, was moving from computer station to computer station at different times during his stay within the room. However, we were unable to see what he was doing through the camera's view. So, we set up a covert camera to watch a specific section of computer stations, and we monitored it in the security control room.

"What we saw was the individual wheeling himself over to another station when the other station's user got up to do something. He removed the board from that computer and placed it under his wheelchair's seat cushion. After which, he wheeled himself back to his own station and went about his business. When his time in the computer center was up, he wheeled himself out of the room - with the computer board still under his seat cushion," explains McLaughlin.

McLaughlin immediately radioed the officer on duty to detain the individual. He was then brought down to the security office, and confronted with the theft. The individual was subsequently expelled from the institution.

Another "sting" operation using covert cameras solved a similar case. Again, computer equipment was disappearing.

"After reviewing tape, we found that a maintenance man used a large commercial vacuum cleaner as a vehicle for removing the items," he says. "He placed the items in the vacuum's large receptacle chamber and transported them back to his department. We confronted him with the tape and searched his office. The computer equipment was still in the vacuum cleaner. He was arrested, and prosecuted."

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