Campus battles automobile theft, burglary

    “Campus security” is a misnomer for Eleanor Roosevelt College sophomore Mike Tam, whose 1997 Acura Integra has been broken into three times on campus in the past year.

    Greg Dale/Guardian
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    The first time thieves targeted his vehicle, Tam said he was impressed that the university police responded quickly, busted the criminals and returned the stolen goods. But after two more successful break-ins, Tam said he lost all faith in UCSD’s security enforcement.

    “It’s completely useless,” Tam said. “I think they need some major improvement in the security on campus.”

    Incidents of burglary and motor vehicle theft continue to plague the UCSD campus, according to data released by the UCSD Police Department in 2005-06 Crime Awareness and Campus Security Clery Report.

    The statistics, drawn from crime reports filed by various designated law enforcement authorities around campus, yielded 63 reports of burglary and 89 reports of car theft in 2004.

    The incidents of burglary were up from 49 in 2002 but still below the 65 logged in 2003, while incidents of motor vehicle theft were down from 143 in 2002 and 95 in 2003.

    While the exact numbers vacillate from year to year, theft remains a consistent problem, according to UCSD Police Department Sgt. Robert L. Jones, who compiles the information for the annual report.

    “Thefts — personal property, automobile and bicycle — are the more serious crimes on campus,” Jones said. “Our major focus is in dealing with them.”

    Statistics on bicycle theft and instances of stolen personal belongings that did not involve breaking and entering were not included in the report.

    While thefts per capita at UCSD are generally lower than the rest of the San Diego region, the numbers are still driven up by the proximity of campus to Mexican border, where stolen goods can be easily transported, according to Jones.

    San Diego County has more automobiles stolen per capita than any other county in the state, he said.

    “This campus is open to the public 24 hours a day, and that lends itself well to thievery,” Jones said. “One of the last three cars stolen entered Mexico within 20 minutes of being stolen.”

    The campus administration is highly responsive to the police department’s needs and current levels of security enforcement are adequate, according to Jones. However, “in a perfect world” there would be more officers patrolling campus, he added.

    UCSD currently employs 33 armed police officers, 13 residential security officers and approximately 40 student community service officers to provide escort and other security services.

    Security problems on campus are exacerbated by parking shortages, according to Earl Warren College Resident Dean Claire Palmer.

    The deficiencies often force students to park their cars in remote lots and walk back alone to the residence halls, she said. The issue is especially pronounced at Warren, where new buildings and accompanying faculty parking have nearly eliminated student parking in lots adjacent to the residence halls.

    The police department is constantly compiling data that will help it pinpoint problem areas on campus and respond with heightened security, according to Jones. For example, east campus parking lots, located on the east side of Interstate 5, are now monitored by security cameras and patrolled by plain-clothed officers to accommodate the growing number of students who park there.

    “Once you solve the problem in one place, it will come back a year later or pop up somewhere else,” Jones said. “It’s a never-ending battle to stay ahead of the crook.”

    Lack of student awareness is another factor contributing to theft, especially in the residence halls, according to Thurgood Marshall College RSO Bill Paterakis.

    “Students have a false sense of security,” Paterakis said. “They say, ‘I’m only going to be gone a minute,’ and they prop their door open, which is all it takes for a thief to steal something and run.”

    With only one RSO patrolling each of the six campuses at a time, Paterakis said that officers depend on students to immediately report anything suspicious to expedite response times to the scene of the crime.

    Instead of relying on RSOs, students somtimes direct problems to their resident advisers, which wastes valuable time and allows thieves to escape, Paterakis said.

    The best way to ensure personal security is to simply lock up belongings, Jones said. For vehicles, students should have a cutout switch installed in their cars, involving a hidden button that can block the electrical flow necessary to start up the engine.

    But the advice is too little, too late for Tam.

    “I’m selling my car,” Tam said.

    The report is available online at http://blink.ucsd.edu.

    Readers can contact Jessica Horton at [email protected].

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