The Mercury - On-campus thefts incite action
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By Bobby Karalla-->Contributor
Published: Monday, November 29, 2010
Updated: Monday, November 29, 2010 11:11
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photo illustration by Albert Ramirez
The UTD Police Department is investigating the first two cases of automobile theft under Chief of Police Larry Zacharias.
A GMC truck was stolen from Lot C Oct. 28 and has not been recovered. A Dodge Ram with an ATV in the bed was stolen from the Research and Operations Center the next day.
Lieutenant Ken MacKenzie said the two incidents are most likely not related, and violence was not involved in either case.
Zacharias said the police plan to take steps to help prevent any future auto thefts by increasing student awareness of the issue.
"It's not a big spike in crime by any means, but any time we see it, it concerns us enough to try to get information out to everyone," Zacharias said.
Simple steps such as locking your car can prevent a possible theft, MacKenzie said.
"Fifty percent of the cars that are stolen had been left unlocked, and one out of every five cars had the keys in the car at the time of theft," he said.
MacKenzie recommends students keep any extra keys in their wallet or purse, rather than leaving them underneath their car, in their console or in their glove box.
An easy way to lessen the chances of a car being stolen is to have the Vehicle Identification Number, commonly known as the "VIN," etched into the car's windows, Mackenzie said.
UTD Police plan on etching VINs into students' windows for free in the spring. MacKenzie said having a VIN etched into a window could also save students 10 percent on their car insurance.
"We'd like every student on campus to come and get it done," he said.
MacKenzie said students should visit txwatchyourcar.com, a website that shows similar insurance benefits students could receive.
Safety brochures are always available at the UTD Police's office, Zacharias said. The department stresses that student involvement is vital in preventing further incidents.
"We can't keep crime low all by ourselves. It takes everybody being involved," Zacharias said.
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