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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