It is a common scenario that plays out at The University of Memphis nearly every day.
A window is shattered, a lock is picked and property is snatched by thieves who often leave nothing but the tangled wires from a stolen audio system and a patch of splintered glass as a calling card.
While U of M law enforcement officials have made progress in cutting the rate of vehicles stolen from U of M campus, the number of property thefts from vehicles has increased by 12 percent from last year.
Since January, there have been more than 100 reports of theft from vehicles on U of M property filed, and with more than a month left in the year, U of M law enforcement officials are scampering to keep the theft rate from increasing even further.
“Thefts from cars is a crime of opportunity, not the kind of crime that is typically planned,” said Derek Myers, a lieutenant for The U of M’s Police Services.
Myers added that theft from vehicles is more difficult to combat than actual car theft, due to the short time in which the crime can be completed.
“A person passes by a car with CDs and a purse, and just takes it,” Myers said. “It really doesn’t take much time or effort to break a window.”
Last year, there were 88 reported cases of theft from motor vehicles on campus, but the tally of cars stolen on campus climbed to a worrisome level, according to Maurice Williams, crime prevention specialist at The U of M.
More effective measures have been taken to prevent motor vehicle theft on campus. Car thefts have decreased by a whopping 42 percent since last year.
“The University of Memphis patrol has done an admirable job in working to reduce motor vehicle theft,” said Williams. “They have been vigilant and persistent.”
The spike in the number of cars stolen on campus last year prompted U of M law enforcement officials to implement a number of security measures in hopes of curbing car thefts this year.
By implementing frequent patrols, providing increased supervision in the observation towers located in the Southern and Central parking lots and making an effort to educate students on protecting their vehicles, only 20 cars have been stolen this year — compared to the 37 stolen in 2000, according to Williams.
The campus police also managed to retrieve 13 of the stolen vehicles and successfully deterred 6 attempted car thefts.
Despite this success, vehicular larceny rates pose a problem for campus police.
The main obstacle in larceny prevention is its quick and unpredictable nature. It is done so swiftly and suddenly that it can be done in broad daylight, according to Myers.
Due to the difficulty of police prevention, Williams is trying to educate students on tactics that help deter car thieves.
Possibly the most effective and obvious means of averting a car thief is to keep all valuable possessions out of sight. This includes CDs, leather jackets, backpacks, wallets, purses and sunglasses.
“There is only so much talking you can do,” Williams said. “It’s one thing to learn facts and precautions, but it’s a completely different thing to implement these precautions into your daily routine.”
“These are the number one crimes that affect students here on campus,” says Myers. “The problem with most people is they feel like they’re invincible and nothing can happen to them. “
