More than 100 students had to get their WildCARDs replaced during the first two weeks of February after having their purses or wallets stolen, a university official said.

Art Monge, the manager of the WildCARD office in Norris University Center, said his office replaced about 200 cards during the first half of the month. He said about 70 percent of the students getting replacements told employees their cards had been stolen from a wallet or purse.

Monge called University Police on Feb. 12 to find out if officers had noticed an increase in reports of purse and wallet thefts.

An officer confirmed his suspicions, Monge said.

But Lt. Nick Parashis of UP said he knew of no increase in such thefts.

“If there’s a rash of purse snatchings going on … it’s not being reported to us at all,” Parashis said.

Mike Perlman, a crime analyst with Evanston Police Department, also said he wasn’t aware of a rise in purse and wallet thefts on campus.

Monge said his office replaces four to six cards a day during a typical week, but during the weeks of Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, it replaced about 16 cards a day.

A WildCARD replacement costs $15. That policy holds regardless of whether the card is stolen or lost, Monge said.

“I do feel bad we have to charge someone after their purse or wallet is stolen, but that’s been a firm university policy for the nine years the WildCARD has been in existence,” he said.

Theft victims have not given office employees trouble about paying the $15, Monge said, though they have noted that it adds “insult to injury.”

“We wish there was something we could do,” he said. “We wish we could waive (the fee).”

Monge said that usually about 90 percent of replaced cards are issued to those who lost them while only 10 percent go to theft victims.

“It’s only when we run into a rash of thefts that that number reverses,” he said.