Students set up Scarfie Watch

Scarfies are on the criminals.

In a week when four unknown women trashed a student flat in Dunedin’s student quarter, some students have joined together to prevent crime. Enter Daniel Paton. The 19-year-old is one of six students ‘‘affected by burglaries’’ who have formed Scarfie Watch.

Paton said a bike was stolen from his flat this year, and he knew of many others who had items stolen from flats in the student quarter.

On Thursday, Dunedin police issued a media statement saying they had arrested a burglar in the student area and wanted to reunite people with a large amount of stolen property, including a camera with pictures of students. lookout for

After a recent report of a student helping police catch a burglar, Paton’s management 252 group decided to start a project to try and prevent crimes.

‘‘This is something we all feel passionately about,’’ the commerce student said.

The group has started a Facebook page to ‘‘educate and give tips about preventing flat burglaries in the student area’’.

The page will feature videos, crime prevention advice and news’ stories about crime in the student quarter.

The group were working on videos to screen to first year students at halls of residence.

University of Otago proctor Dave Scott and Senior Sergeant Ben Butterfield supported the move.

Management 252 lecturer Tracey Leckie said the course asked students to come up with a community and social action plan ‘‘on an issue that they care about’’.

‘‘I was surprised to learn about scarfie burglaries that the burglars are so brazen that they do it in broad daylight in the hope students aren’t home.’’

Many student flats had an ‘‘open door policy’’ and thus were ‘‘easy pickings’’ for burglars, she said. A project like ‘‘can make a difference’’.