Update as of Feb. 27: A 1999 Honda, which was reported stolen from behind Christie Hall on Feb. 9, has been returned to its owner according to Public Safety Director Gerry Gregg. Portland Police found the car abandoned in the 7000 block of N Cambridge Ave, less than a mile from where it was stolen, on Feb. 15.
Four cars were stolen from the UP campus last week, according to Public Safety Director Gerald Gregg. A mid 90’s Honda, a mid 90’s Subaru Outback and a Volvo were reported stolen the morning of Feb. 7 at 6:53 a.m., 7:27 a.m. and 8:24 a.m., respectively. Another mid 90’s Honda was reported missing at 9:55 the night of Feb 9.
One car was reported missing from the Shipstad parking lot, but Gregg said it could’ve been stolen up to two days prior. The Volvo was taken from outside the PACE house, near Tyson Hall, while it was warming up in the driveway. Another car was parked in the main lot behind the Pilot House when a Bon Appetit employee witnessed a man use a jiggle key to break in, Gregg said. This filed-down key is a common method of breaking into older cars. The fourth car was taken from behind Christie Hall. Gregg said it was the second time it had been stolen.
All four car thefts are listed simply as “Thefts” in UP’s daily crime and fire log, and marked “Closed by Referral (External).” This means they have been referred to the Portland Police Bureau. According to the 2018 Annual Security and Fire Report, the last week has had more on-campus car thefts than 2015, 2016 and 2017 combined, which had zero, two and one, respectively.
To prevent future thefts, Gregg recommends members of the UP community always lock their cars and never leave valuables in them. Public Safety has cameras on the entrances to most residence halls and Beauchamp Recreation Center, but they do not have good views of some streets and parking lots.
“What [these thefts] mean for us, is what it means every day, and that’s [Public Safety] being vigilant to watch for people who might be here to commit a crime, and reminding community members to keep an eye out for suspicious activity,” Gregg said.
Gregg believes the thefts could have been committed by the same person or group of people.
Sam Cushing is a reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at cushing20@up.edu.
