Take a bite out of
By Sandy Johnstone
Of the Emerald
As the doorknob of the apartment turns, the couple
watches with anxious eyes. But the locked door will keep
the burglar away — this time.
Simple precautions, like locking doors and windows,
are often enough to keep a thief away, according to Sgt.
Rick Allison of the Eugene Police Department.
But many people don't take the time to become ade
quately protected and end up victims, he says.
Last year in the campus area there were about 150
burglaries and 498 reported cases of thefts involving $200 or
more. Some 21.7 percent of campus area thefts and 18.7 per
cent of campus-area burglaries are solved. The national
average is about 13 percent.
For the amount of geographical space involved, there is
a lot of crime, but when the number of people in the area
are considered, it is about average, says Allison.
Students need to reduce their chances of being vic
timized, says Allison.
First, they should take the time to look at the security ar
rangement of the apartment or house.
Then, they need to use them. Many burglars are enticed
by an open door or window, says Allison.
Also, mark and engrave valuables. Use an Oregon
driver's license or Oregon identification number, not a
social security number. Social security numbers cannot be
looked up by the police department, according to law.
Engravers can be borrowed from the police department and
campus security.
If numbers are on the stolen goods, then the chance of
getting the materials back are much better. Thousands of
dollars of merchandise is auctioned off by the police each
year because they can't find its owners, says Allison.
Burglary and theft are crimes of opportunity so be
aware of anything that happens out of the ordinary, Allison
Emerald graphic
says.
“They find the opportunites and cash in on them,”
Allison says.
If someone comes to the door and asks for a hammer,
be wary. The person may just want the tool, but they might
have been trying to find out if anyone was home. If no one
had answered, a robbery could have occured.
Often, when a person answers the phone and the other
person hangs up quickly, someone is trying to find out if
any one is home. If no one is home, the house may get
robbed.
Juveniles commit the majority of crimes in Eugene and
they may happen any time of the day, he says. Professional
thieves more often prefer the cover of darkness, says
Allison.
Dorm residents, especially those on the first floors, A
should try not to tempt would-be thieves by leaving expen- “
sive objects, such as stereos, right under windows. They
should also be cautious when letting strangers into the
dorm to see someone, if they don't know either person
involved.
"Dorm residents grow accustomed to the new friends
and feel a security that is not there," says Allison. "We don't
want students to live in fear, but they need to be realistic
and realize that these things (theft and burglary) really
exist."
One common example of a dorm robbery happens in
men's dorms. Many men tend to leave their wallets in the
top drawer under the half closet. Burglars can easily open
doors and slip their hands in the drawer, take the wallet and
leave without waking up the sleeping person.
"It's a normal ocurrence," says Allison.
There are low cost alarms that students can invest in to
make their apartments or dorms more secure. For example,
a door alarm that will fit over the doorknob and will go off if
the door starts to open will scare off most burglars. There
are also units available that are sensitive to motion and will
go off when the doorknob turns.
Allison also cautions people not to carry around extra 0
money that they may have because it is the beginning of the
t€*rm. Thieves are aware that many people may have extra
full wallets at this time of year and are more likely to prey on
students, he says.
The police need the student's cooperation in order to
effectively fight crime he says. Too often, students will stand
by and watch a crime being committed. For example, two
years ago, an Emerald reporter took wire cutters and stole a
bike to see if anyone would respond — no one did. (The
bike actually belonged to the reporter.)
"We must have people involved.''
See related story on Page 12B
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