NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Tuition is on the rise at universities across Connecticut, but is that money being kept safe?

State documents show thousands of dollars in technology is stolen every year, and much of it comes right out of unlocked classrooms.

The Channel 3 I-Team headed to one campus and found gaps in security that even surprised the school's police chief.

For the past four years, the I-Team has been investigating missing technology at Southern Connecticut State University, including computers and a $16,000 projector.

When the I-Team looked into the missing equipment in 2005, it found that $56,000 worth of technology was missing -- and it was all paid for with tax money. The I-Team found open rooms and items left unprotected.

When we asked why, school leaders at that time said the nature of the campus made protection difficult.

"You can't lock down a building," Southern Connecticut State University's Robert Sheeley said.

But SCSU's police chief at the time, John Prokop, promised a strict campaign to increase security.

"Students pay for it, taxpayers pay for it, and it's our obligation to make sure we keep it here," he said.

But when the I-Team requested the latest state records, it found that $34,000 worth of equipment was stolen from SCSU in 2008. Though an improvement from 2005, it's the worst record among state universities.

When the I-Team recently returned to the school to test security, the first rooms the team tried to get into were locked.

But within minutes the I-Team found an unlocked room with a projector that could easily be taken. The team also found a science lab with three computers just sitting on a table. It's possible that a thief could snip the cords, throw the computers in a duffle bag and be out the door in a matter of seconds.

"That's absolutely not what we want to hear, and that's something that we want to address," SCSU Police Chief Joseph Dooley said.

Dooley said that under his watch, patrols have been increased and doors to some rooms are locked more often. He said the department is also looking at putting computers on carts, so they can be locked in closets after class.

"What we work to do is to eliminate the opportunity," he said. "It does not make me feel good to hear what you found, but that's something that we need to address."

The I-Team found that the University of Connecticut has also fallen victim to thieves. The school lost more than $28,000 to theft in 2008. UConn has twice as many students as Southern and while the I-Team found many unlocked rooms with exposed technology, most had some form of security.

"With every room that we design, we design security into it," said Daniel Mercier of UConn.

UConn officials gave the I-Team a tour of a high-tech classroom. Screws that require a special type of screwdriver to be removed are used as well as airline cables with locks and locking cabinets.

"Anybody can get any piece of equipment that they want if they have time, what we're trying to do is have it take time to get that equipment," Mercier said.

When the I-Team tested security at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, all technology was found behind locked doors. The I-Team was unable to get into a single classroom.

"Nothing is 100 percent foolproof, but all we can do is put the controls in place, do the education, and so far we've gotten good results," said Lorraine Capobianco, WCSU's chief information officer.

Ten years ago, WCSU launched a policy of locking every door on campus. Faculty members received keys for old-fashioned locks and key cards with pin numbers for newer classrooms. In 2008, the school lost three laptop computers, totaling just over $5,000.