By Lisa McMahan
Senior Kyle Irwin stopped by his girlfriend's house after his night class on Feb. 3. He was inside for about 30 minutes. When he returned to his Subaru, parked near the corner of Portsmouth Avenue and Harvard Street, he found his door jimmied open and his bag - containing books and his laptop - gone.
His was the third in a string of similar vehicle break-ins near the UP campus in the last week, prompting an e-mail from Public Safety advising students with cars to be especially cautious.
The recent thefts reflect an increase in crime that is likely associated with the economy, according to Director of Public Safety Harold Burke-Sivers.
"The last time we saw something like this happen was the last economic downturn," Burke-Sivers said, referring to a similar increase in theft from vehicles that occurred in 2003 and 2004. "It's unfortunate but that always seems to happen."
There were no thefts reported to Public Safety in 2006 or 2007. There were 11 in 2008.
"We expect these numbers to go up," Burke-Sivers said.
Theft from vehicles in the University Park neighborhood has increased from 25 in 2008 to 87 in 2009, according to the Portland Police Bureau. These numbers are generally much lower than the actual rate of occurrence. About 40 percent of these crimes are reported to the Portland Police, they estimate.
These crimes are typically a result of a few thieves in an area who look for valuables to trade in for drugs, according to Detective Mary Wheat of the Portland Police Bureau.
"We had an auto theft task force that concentrates on these prolific guys," Wheat said. "We don't have that any more because of budget cuts."
She encourages victims of theft to report the crime so the Portland Police Bureau can become more aware of trends in the city.
Although these crimes seem to be rising, there are many ways to avoid becoming a target.
"These are crimes of opportunity," Burke-Sivers said. "To prevent them, remove the opportunity."
He advises removing laptops, iPods and anything else of value from cars, or at least stowing them in a glove box or trunk.
No car is exempt from theft and it can occur anywhere. The most recent thefts took place on Yale Street and on Willamette Boulevard.
Irwin's car was broken into on the corner of Portsmouth Avenue and Harvard Street, an intersection that is not only well-lit but also well-traveled.
"I wouldn't have expected it so close," Irwin said. "Portsmouth is a fairly busy street."
His car was broken into after 10 p.m., but many of the recent thefts occurred in the daytime, when visibility is prime for passersby looking to score some loot.
"Most of these are actually happening during the day," Burke-Sivers said.
He believes the thieves may be traveling by bike with crowbars in their backpacks to "smash and grab" from cars, a process that only takes a matter of seconds.
On Jan. 7, junior Breauna Dickson found the window of her Jeep Cherokee smashed and most of her front dashboard - including her stereo - gone. The break-in occurred while her vehicle was parked in her house's private gravel parking lot near Haven Avenue and Syracuse Street.
"Whoever did this was very close to the entrance of my house," Dickson said. "I felt more personally violated than anything."
Public Safety officers are increasing their patrols in the streets adjacent to campus, according to Burke-Sivers.
Students can protect themselves by recording serial numbers on valuable possessions and by ensuring that their car is covered by insurance.
"I have renter's insurance through Allstate, and they've been really helpful," Irwin said. He estimates about $1,400 worth of possessions was stolen from his car.
He was also granted an extension on a paper he intended to finish the night his computer and class materials were stolen.
Irwin recommends students protect their computers with a password and do not store financial information in their files.
Both Wheat and Burke-Sivers agree, however, that not leaving valuables in cars is the only definite way to prevent losing them to theft.
"Thieves usually go back if it's a target-rich environment, which means people are leaving stuff in their cars," Wheat said.
She recommends removing checkbooks, car titles, electronics and even textbooks from cars, locking doors and parking in well-lit areas
"We want to make sure you're smarter than the car thief, which is not hard to do," Wheat said.
