As classes begin, some students scrounge for loose change and others charge hundreds of dollars on their parents’ credit cards to pay for books. But a few choose not to pay for books at all.

Last week, University Police arrested two students in separate incidents for retail theft at Norris Bookstore, 1999 South Campus Drive. The two were charged with stealing textbooks worth a total of $198 and $28.

Norris Bookstore manager Dan Posas estimated that the bookstore loses thousands of dollars each year because of theft.

“I’ve caught professional-looking types who have stuffed their briefcases with software,” Posas said. “It doesn’t matter who you are. Some people just steal.”

UP Sgt. Tim Reuss said bookstore theft has been more of a problem recently. He said increasing police presence in the bookstore would help to deter theft.

“We’ve got guys who are willing to work with (Norris), as soon as they’re willing to implement it,” he said.

Each quarter, about two people are caught stealing books from Norris, Posas said.

“We don’t go looking for it,” Posas said. “It has to be pretty obvious. If we catch somebody, you’re being pretty stupid about it.”

Posas said he doesn’t have enough staff to monitor adequately all of the customers who browse through the store. And the store’s two-story layout makes it difficult for employees to watch every customer in the crowd.

Posas said the rate of stolen, lost or damaged books at Norris is about 5 percent, which he said is twice as high as the national average among other Barnes & Noble college bookstores.

Student Book Exchange, 1737 Sherman Ave., has a rate of stolen books of less than 1 percent, textbook manager Stuart Lundquist said.

He attributed this lower rate to more visual security measures than those at Norris. SBX uses security sensors at the doors and has police officers monitoring the entrance during peak business hours.

Despite the greater rate, Posas said problems like Norris’ are fairly common.

“I don’t think (book theft) is a problem that is unique to Northwestern,” Posas said, but he said the issue has not been given much attention.

“The feeling has been that our students don’t do that,” he said. “It’s been kept low-key.”

Posas said he holds monthly sessions to discuss theft issues with his staff, and recently hired a loss-prevention specialist to supervise the store during peak hours.

He said he is also working with Norris Associate Director Joe Mroczkowski about renovating the bookstore to improve security.