Car theft, clout increasing in Eugene
Cars may not be safe even
in locked parking garages
as theft continues to be
an increasing problem
Caron Alarab
Crime/Safety/Transportation Reporter
It took 10 confused minutes,
several traced steps and two fran
tic phone calls before he came to
the inevitable conclusion no car
owner wants to accept.
It was gone.
Despite the protective guise of a
locked parking garage, Sam Tan
ner’s car had been stolen.
“Get an alarm,” the West Uni
versity resident said with a shrug.
“There isn’t a lot you can do.”
According to preliminary Eu
gene Police Department statistics
for 2002, “car theft” — theft of the
entire vehicle — and “car clout”
— theft from the vehicle — are
constant problems in the neigh
borhoods surrounding the Univer
sity. Gar thefts in the West Univer
sity neighborhood almost doubled
from 35 in 2001 to 60 in 2002,
while citywide numbers show an
increase from 683 in 2001 to 834
in 2002. Out of the 2,310 car
clouts reported in EPD’s 2002 sta
tistics, 175 were reported in the
West University neighborhood.
But as the incidents reported to
property managers range from
stolen vehicles to stolen hubcaps,
EPD Community Service Officer
Erik G. Humphrey said parking
garages may actually attract more
criminals than deter them.
“Put yourself in the mind of the
thief,” he said. “Where are you go
ing to be the most comfortable?”
According to Grime Prevention
Through Environmental Design —
a nationwide law enforcement
concept — the three components
that determine if a car is a target
are locks, lighting and landscap
"More often than not,
a criminal won't know
what's in the gym bag
in the back seat But if
it looks like anything,
they'll break in
just to take it"
Erik C. Humphrey
EPD
ing. Hence, if an underground
garage isn’t locked properly, well
lit or isn’t open to public view,
criminals will flock to it.
Humphrey added a fourth criteria
of his own: visible items to steal.
“More often than not, a criminal
won’t know what’s in the gym bag
in the back seat,” he said. “But if it
looks like anything, they’ll break
in just to take it.”
Although Graduate student
Matthew Robins never leaves any
thing visible in his car, especially af
ter a small history of break-ins and
four stolen stereos, his only deter
rent is a detachable face-plate.
“If there is stuff in my car, I’ll
hide it,” he said.
Robins has rented in the West
University neighborhood since
summer and said neither he nor
his neighbors have reported any
problems with car theft or clotft.
During the summer, he safely
stored his car in the building’s
garage for three months without
an alarm. But according to
Humphrey, Robins was lucky not
to fall victim to an increasingly re
lated crime: identity theft.
“Students will leave vital infor
mation like registration informa
tion, old bank statements and
even their student IDs in their car
while still saying to themselves
‘It’ll never happen to me,”’ he said.
News brief
Transportation bill
in progress
Sens. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., and
Ron Wyden, D-Ore., have worked
closely on a bill to obtain federal fund
ing for transportation projects and ur
ban and community development
programs across Oregon. The passage
of the Omnibus Appropriations Act
by the U.S. Senate on Thursday will
provide funding for water treatment,
transportation infrastructure, tech
nology centers and community devel
opment centers in Oregon.
The bill included several features
that will benefit University students
and other citizens of Lane County.
The Lane Transit Bus Facility will re
ceive 06 million for station improve
ment, facility maintenance and bus
purchase. Another $750,000 is ear
marked for area concept develop
ment for the Eugene Federal Court
house. The bill will fund $250,000
for drinking and waste water im
provements in Eugene and Spring
field. Finally, the Lane County Plan
etarium Learning Center will net $1
million in federal funding.
“This bill funds a wide range of
projects that are important to im
proving the quality of life in commu
nities throughout Oregon,” Smith
said in a statement. It “will provide
municipalities of all sizes the help
they need to make their communi
ties better places to live.”
The bill must now be considered
by a joint House-Senate conference
before being sent to President
George W. Bush for his signature.
—Jennifer Bear
IV
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Erik C. Humphrey, an EPD officer warns that cars are targeted in parking garages because of locks, lighting and landscaping.
As the largest supplier of student
housing around campus, von Klein
Property Management L.L.G. recog
nizes the problem, stands by posted
warnings and takes no liability.
“We are extremely concerned at
all times,” said Larry von Klein, an
Oregon licensed real estate broker
and part owner of the company,
which manages more than 700
rental units.
He said all von Klein parking ar
eas and garages post signs not to
leave valuable items in cars, while
managers advise against giving out
gate codes or remote controls.
I
“Existing tenants give friends the
gate codes even when managers tell
them not to,” he said, adding that
he highly endorses renters’ insur
ance for personal property.
Junior Megan Domey has been
renting in the West University
neighborhood since September, and
in the past three months, her deal
ership hubcaps and the emblem on
her hood have been stolen.
“I think the alarm with the
blinking light is what saves it,” she
said in regards to never having a
break-in. “And it’s really loud and
annoying, too.”
Since the incidents, Dorney has
purchased cheaper replacements
for her hubcaps and said she won’t
consider investing in dealership
quality until she moves. With a
term and a half left in her nine
month lease, her advice to poten
tial victims of car crimes isn’t ex
actly what would be posted on the
wall of a parking garage, but it’s
what most tenants might expect:
“Keep your fingers crossed and
hope for the best.”
Contact the reporter
at caronalarab@dailyemerald.com.
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