Students not in the habit of locking their car doors might want to begin doing so.
Since the beginning of March, the Department of Public Safety has received four reports of car burglaries. Three of these have occurred since the end of Spring Break, according to Lt. Jerry Garcia of the Department of Public Safety.
Of the four car robberies, the car’s doors were locked in only one case. Victims found their cars undamaged with signs of rummaging.
Garcia said that a possible motive for the robberies would be to find valuable goods that can be sold for profit. He also said that the burglaries have not been isolated to the UTM campus, with similar car burglaries being reported in different areas of town. Among the items stolen on campus were a wristwatch, tools from a tool set, a fishing pole and a phone charger.
The most effective thing students can do to prevent a car burglary is to keep their car doors locked and to avoid leaving valuable items in cars when possible. If valuable items are kept in the car, they should be out of sight, preferably in the center console or glove compartment. The Department of Public Safety also suggests making a detailed list of items that are kept in the car with specific descriptions of each item, including serial numbers for items that have them. In addition, writing an identifiable mark on possessions, such as one’s initials or their full name, are also helpful in identifying any goods that may be stolen.
The Department of Public Safety is still taking precautions by having uniformed and plain clothed officers monitoring the parking areas across campus. The investigation remains ongoing.
Pacer Photo| Justin Lagace
