The end of the fall semester is the busiest time of the year formost University of Memphis students, and law enforcement officialssay it's also the time of the year many thieves prey on preoccupiedstudents.
"Crime generally goes up this time of year because of theholiday season," said Lt. Roderic Cunningham, commander of theMemphis Police Department's crime prevention bureau. "A lot ofpeople get a little more desperate this time of year. People arebasically taking the opportunity to take things so they can havemoney during the holiday season."
Cunningham also said The University's high rating as one of thestate's safest campuses can sometimes give students an over-safefeeling, which can lead to victimization.
Theft is the No. 1 reported crime on campus. Larceny --automobile theft and the theft of automobile parts and propertyleft inside a vehicle -- frequently occurs on and around TheUniversity, police services officials said.
And although larceny accounts for more than 68 percent of thecrimes committed on campus, according to The U of M statistics, itis also one of the most preventable crimes.
"Criminals are looking for easy opportunities," said Lt. AngieCurry, U of M Police Services. "Don't just give (your property)away."
In 2002, the last year for which complete data was available, 89incidents of theft were documented on The U of M campus. And ofthose incidents, more than 50 percent involved items stolen fromcars -- something law enforcement officials say could have beenprevented.
"Property left in plain sight is the key motivator for crooks,"Curry said. "There have also been cases where cars were leftunlocked or windows left cracked."
Whether it's a product of students rushing to class or simplecarelessness, many students often indirectly invite thieves to taketheir property, Curry said.
Securing all personal items away from sight in the glovecompartment or in the trunk can greatly reduce the likelihood ofbecoming a larceny victim, Cunningham said.
"Be sure to put valuables away, like lap top computers and CDs,before parking the car," he said. "In some cases, criminals arewaiting around and watching" as students park their cars.
Reporting a theft immediately to campus police increases thechances of recovering the property and of the police apprehendingthe person responsible, Curry said.
The police will need to know any serial numbers of the itemsstolen, the approximate value of the missing property, the time ofday the student last saw the missing property and any otherrelevant information.
Although U of M police officers regularly patrol the campus andeach parking lot and have less than a two-minute response time oncampus, it is ultimately up to each student to protect theirproperty before a crime occurs, officers said.
"Criminals only have less than a minute in most cases to committheir crime," Cunningham said. "Keeping your property out of sightand securing your vehicle are the best means of protecting yourselffrom theft."
