This year, TU has seen a rise in vehicle break-ins and damages, likely due to the increased number of students and faculty on campus.
Recently students have been noticing some weird things happening in the parking lots here on campus. It is well known that when parking your car in any highly populated place there is a chance of something happening to your car. Most people don’t worry about where they have parked their cars unless they are in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Some people were taught to lock their cars no matter where they park and some never lock their cars. However, depending on what type of vehicle you drive, locking it might not even help.
There has been a rise in the number of students whose vehicles are getting broken into or damaged on campus this semester. With there being over 1,000 more students this academic year compared to the last, we might see this trend continue to grow. Statistically, it is shown that cars parked in lots are four times more likely to be stolen than a car that has been parked on the street. The number goes up when the parking lot is dimly lit or close to high-traffic areas.
For this article, an unnamed student has been interviewed. He is a current student who lives on campus in Fisher West and whose car has gotten broken into a few weeks ago. When talking to him, he mentioned that this was not the first time his car has been broken into, especially in the Fisher lot. His Jeep soft top was “cut or unzipped” so the perpetrator could access the vehicle. Luckily, nothing of value was stolen out of his vehicle either time.. He did mention that both times the vehicle was left trashed or in disarray.
The student went on to mention how he has had multiple friends whose cars have been broken into, again the Fisher lot. When asked if he felt like there was any way this could have been prevented he mentioned that he doesn’t think so. “Campo did not get there on time whatsoever. Absolutely unacceptable that we don’t have security cameras in the parking lot. We are spending money on robot lawn mowers and robot food delivery machines before we prioritize safety and protecting our vehicles.” With this said it doesn’t mean that the Fisher lot is the only place that gets hit on campus. This can happen in any lot on campus.
Here are a few ways you can try to prevent lots of damage or possible theft of your car. Keep anything that could be considered valuable out of your car and on you or in a safe place like your dorm. Make sure that your vehicle is always locked and that all windows are rolled up. Older vehicles or cars with soft tops tend to be hit more frequently, so be careful if you drive either. However, always remember that it can happen to anyone no matter what vehicle you drive — the only difference is if they can get in or not.
