Fraternity parking lots sites of increasing theft

By: AMANDA WOODRUFF

Posted: 4/8/08

Three University fraternity parking lots were the scenes of a slew of car burglaries in the past week, according to police reports.

Seven of the 10 break-ins occurred in the Kappa Alpha fraternity lot on Lumpkin Street between March 30 and April 1. Kappa Alpha's lot is on campus.

Among the items taken from the vehicles were a Sirius satellite radio, four Apple iPods, a Garmin GPS system and two other cars sustained window damages.

Since the spike in thefts, Kappa Alpha has "amped up security," a member said.

"We've installed better lighting in the lot," said James Curry, a sophomore from Dublin, who reported his car broken into March 30. "It was pretty dark before, so I think it will help."

One burglary was reported March 30 at the Pi Kappa Alpha parking lot on Lumpkin Street, also on campus.

The complainant told police the rear window of his car was broken into, and an iPod, a speaker box with two 12-inch subwoofers and an amplifier were taken, according to the report.

Two incidents occurred April 5 at the off-campus Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity parking lot on Pulaski Street.

One complainant reported a stolen speaker, amplifier and subwoofer speakers and another reported a broken car window, according to police reports.

Clusters of burglaries in isolated areas on campus happen "a lot," said University Police Lt. Lisa Boone.

"For whatever reason, they pick that lot," Boone said. "People aren't going back to the same lot if they don't get anything from it."

Leaving valuable items in plain view in cars is a target for burglars, she said.

"Let's face it," she said. "If you've got a car with a pocket book and another without one, which are you going to pick?"

Students should report suspicious persons or activities in parking lots, such as individuals testing door handles or peering into car windows.

"Chances are they're not just looking for their car," she said.

Usual lines of defense against burglaries, such as car alarms, are not always effective, Boone said, because they are easy to trigger and not many would stop to check on a car if an alarm went off.

To reduce the risk of car burglaries on campus, Boone said the best thing to do is to lock items of value in the trunk and try to park in well-lit areas.

"It's human nature to do what's convenient," she said. "Safety isn't convenient, but you need to do these things."