Foul play has been reported at Chartwells in the last few weeks.

On Jan. 31 and Feb. 13, there were two reported incidents of theft in the Pioneer Food Court.

One incident involved theft from Chick-Fil-A and the other involved the theft of a Naked Juice.

The Pioneer Food Court is the largest of Chartwells’ operations on OU’s campus. Housing seven food venders, the food court’s large size and heavy traffic can make it “easy for things to go unnoticed,” said senior majoring in health sciences, Jared Koverman.

Koverman, who works as a barista at Café O’Bear’s and as a cashier at Grizz Express in the Oakland Center, believes the smaller the operation, the easier it is to keep an eye on customers.

However, Koverman does not believe theft is an issue at Chartwells.

“(Theft is) increasing but it’s not a huge issue,” he said. “It does need to get nipped in the bud.”

Although there were recent thefts at Chartwells, Koverman said it has not implemented any new security measures.

Current security measures include security cameras and gates surrounding the retail locations.

Koverman believes that Chartwells is taking notice of the recent thefts.

“I know they’ve been talking about (the thefts) and have informed (Chartwells employees),” Koverman said.

Chartwells emplyoes are trained how to notice and handle theft.

“We’re trained and told to be aware,” Koverman said.

The suspect involved with the Chick-Fil-A theft was caught by Chartwells employees who witnessed the incident, according to police reports.

According to Capt. Mark Gordon of the OU Police Department, once OUPD receives a call of retail fraud they will meet with the store owner or manager.

OUPD and the complainant will then discuss what  was stolen, determine its value and whether there is probable cause to make the arrest.

“If enough probable cause exists, (OUPD) can make a full custodial arrest and process the suspect on a charge of retail fraud,” Gordon said. “During the process, the dollar amount of the stolen item determines the penalty and whether the suspect goes to jail or is released on a ticket.”

According to police reports, the Jan. 31 stolen property value was $6.30 and the Feb. 13 incident was $3. Both thefts are considered third-degree retail fraud, according to Gordon.

“If the value is less than $200, it is third-degree retail fraud which is a 93-day misdemeanor which is punishable in the county jail for up to 93 days,” Gordon said.

 

Contact staff intern Natalie Popovski via email at [email protected]