The second phase of the response to the university’s lost set of keys has begun, but it is unclear when it will end.
Monies for key replacements and additional hours of labor will come from the yearly budget for large repair and renewal projects for which USM budgets yearly. Some of these funds can be used to pay for lock and key replacement, said Bob Caswell executive director of public affairs via email. It is not known if insurance will cover the costs. “We are continuing to investigate other funding, such as insurance coverage.”
“The secondary phase of the key replacement will be led by a project team including the facilities department, staff from telecommunications and campus card services and Student Affairs, who will meet to develop a new master keying system,” said Robert Bertram, executive director of facilities management via email.
It is not known when the secondary phase will be completed. “Within the next three weeks, we will complete and issue a request for proposals for a new master key system.
“As was the case with our work in the immediate wake of the theft of keys, our first priority will be residence halls and exterior doors. We’ll then work from there to ensure that all buildings are part of the larger master keying system,” wrote Bertram.
Regarding the secondary phase, Caswell said in an email, “I think the secondary phase will present challenges, too, but it is something that we can anticipate and make sure we have plans in place to make the transition as smooth as possible.”
During the interim, the facilities department and Campus Police will meet professors and staff members’ needs, Bertram said in a statement.
The Free Press’s request for the stolen keys incident report was denied because there is an active law enforcement investigation, Caswell said. There are no new leads at this time, he said.