rhe) Se F

CAMPUS BOOKSTORE ROBBED

$15,000 theft
‘inside job’

A Douglas College student
and an employee of the
college were arrested Thurs-
day and charged with the

Wednesday night theft of
almost $15,000 from the New
Westminster campus book-
store.

New Westminster police
apprehended Shirley Olsen,
a cashier in the bookstore,

and student Edward LaFa-
vor, in possession of the
stolen money -Thursday
night.

Police were first notified of
a theft Wednesday evening
by Olsen, who claimed she

was attacked from behind b
a young man wearing blac
pants and running shoes as

she left the bookstore with
the money, which she claim-
ed she intended to deposit in
a bank deposit box.

Olsen and LaFavor were
both charged with posses-
sion of stolen goods, but
Olsen was also charged with
public nuisance for mislead-
ing police.

All the money was retriev-
ed except for about $100. No
further information on the
case was available at press
time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

“Meet me in the parking lot behind the bookstore’.

 

Maple Ridge inflammable

- Other Press infallible

by Jeannette van Eldik

Although the Maple Ridge
campus looks like a fire trap
and rumor had it that it was,
Andy Andrews, dean of the
campus, said it is not and the
Maple Ridge fire chief has
confirmed that statement.

‘It isn’t as much of a fire
hazard as the New Westmin-
ster or Surrey campuses,”’
Andrews said. It has been
inspected by the police the
fire department and the city.

There is no smoking al-
lowed in classrooms, there
are many fire extinguishers,
no plugs are overloaded and
there are no accumulations
of rags or papers, Andrews
said. Each class is equipped
with a smoke detector and an
exit door leading outside.

‘‘We’re probably as good
as an ordinary elementary
school.”’

According to the Maple
Ridge Fire Chief the old
elementary school where
Douglas College classes are

being held is to be’ demo-
lished in just over a year,

which has probably led

people to believe it was
condemned.

Ken McKoy, campus su-
pervisor, said Douglas Cam;
puses meet the building code

specifications. The only

ace smoking is allowed is
in offices where ashtrays are
provided and in the cafe-
teria.

McKoy commented. that
they try to keep the halls
clear of people and things

but there is one problem in
the 100 building with.a class
splitting into groups and
moving into the halls with
their chairs.

There is also no vehicle
parking within 25 feet of the
building or in fire zones. and
although they try to avoid it
they usually have to tow one
or two cars away a year so
people will get the message.

Maintenance supervisor
Wes Gibbons said, ‘Douglas
College is well protected.
The fire department can be

here in two minutes. It’s the
eople that create the hazard
by blocking accesses.”’

Douglas College has a fire
alarm system which has two

inspections a year, a water
system and, in the case of

Richmond campus, a sprink-
ler system.

‘Gibbons didn’t dwell on
the technicalities long, but

he was quick to point a finger
at the Other Press. ‘‘The

Other Press oifice is a fire
hazard. Fires are caused by

an accumulation of papers,”

he said.

The Other Press office
very seldom has ‘papers
stacked in corners’ as Gib-
bons said. And if they do it is
only when they come in and
are being distributed. More
of a fire hazard than The
Other Press office is the
smoking which is going on in
classes where no ashtrays
are provided.

Bookstore robbers
sentenced

by Jeannette van Eldik

A former Douglas College
bookstore employee and a
_former college criminology
student and part-time secu-
rity guard were sentenced
Nov. 3 to six months in
Prison and two years proba-
tion after robbing the college
teats of $14,357 on Sept.

Shirley Olund, 34, charged
with theft over $200 and
Edward LaFavor, 19, char-
ged with possession of stolen
property, were charged in
New Westminster Provincial
court.

Olund, married and the
mother of three children,
was also told to seek psychia-
tric counselling on the advice
of her probation officer after
she pleaded guilty on the
grounds ot mental instability
because of marital problems
during the past year.

On Sept. 6, Olund cashed
a cheque for LaFavor, the
court was told, so he could

purchase a car. He came to
the bookstore later that eve-
ning and picked up over
$14,000 in cash and cheques.
When Olund finished work at
about 10 p.m. she waited five
minutes and phoned the
police claiming she had been
pines as -_ = getting in
ef car in the co i
= ege parking
_ LaFavor then burnt $7,458
in cheques, threw the money
bag in the river and hid the
remaining $6,978 in cash.
_ On Sept. 8, LaFavor, feel-
ing guilty, turned himself in
to police, disclosing the
whereabouts of the money.

_ Olund and LaFavor’s rela-
tionship during the last year:
was described as a ‘morbid:
attraction’ by LaFavor’s law-
yer. Olund faa been finan-
cially aiding LaFavor during
the last year in order for him
to remain in school. They
had talked of robbing the

bookstore at registration
time in july.

 

12 September 3 1996 The Other Press—Twenty Years of Unrestricted Growth