Kyle Berninger awoke after a semi-formal on a cold December morning last semester and walked out to his car in a Goodyear parking lot to drive a friend home. However, before he even opened the door to the vehicle he could tell something was amiss.
???"I walked up to my car in the morning and the hazard lights were blinking," said Berninger, a freshman mechanical engineering major. "I opened up my car and it was unlocked, which was not the way I left it. My whole dashboard was ripped up, my trunk was a mess, and all my stereo equipment was stolen."
???Among the missing items were a head unit, an amp, an iPod, subwoofers and a pair of high-priced sunglasses.
???Evan Blidner, a senior economics major, was faced with a similar situation at his home on Flower Street near South Campus last November.
???"Two people were caught throwing a brick at the side window of my car," Blidner said. "A lady that lives across the street saw them and called the cops on them."
???The would-be burglars ran away, but came back 20 minutes after the police left the scene. They broke into Blidner's roommate's car and stole an iPod in the process.
???"My car was parked across the street from house and my roommate's car was in our driveway," Blidner said.
???Berninger and Blidner are a small sample of a growing number of UB students whose vehicles have been targeted by burglars. Since the beginning of the semester, over 25 vehicles have reportedly been broken into or damaged, including 19 confirmed burglaries.
???Common items stolen include car stereo equipment, iPods, GPS devices, money, book bags, jewelry, clothing and radar detectors.
???One common link amongst many of these robberies: the owners leave items of value in conspicuous locations.
???"Most of the time, the people that own the vehicles have left valuables out in the open that are in plain sight," said John C. Woods, assistant chief of University Police.
???Burglars are far more likely to break into a vehicle if they know that something of value is inside.
???"My iPod was sitting sort of in the center console," Blidner said. "Obviously I don't leave it there any more."
???The University Police Department (UPD) issued a safety alert on MyUB and put signs across campus reminding students to leave valuables out of sight.
???Even mounting hardware for GPS devices and other such items should be hidden because they may indicate to burglars that expensive items may be inside.
???Woods advised that students could take individual steps to help cut down crime by storing their valuables in a different location.
???"I would keep all the valuables out of sight in the vehicle, like putting them in your trunk or take them out [of] the vehicle," Woods said.
???UPD has taken several other steps to secure the campus.
???"We have arrested one person for attempting to steal something from a vehicle," Woods said. "We don't believe he's responsible for all the thefts."
???UPD also started a theft reduction program last spring where officers grade a vehicle's likelihood to be burglarized and leave a report card on the windshield.
???"Our officers look at each vehicle in the lot and if the people have something in plain sight, they mark that they failed the report card," Woods said.
???Woods said that officers have graded most parking lots on both North Campus and South Campus, but due to rotating schedules they have not likely graded every vehicle.
???Students could also thwart crimes by notifying police if they see anything suspicious, even in neighborhoods assumed to be safe, according to Woods.
???"Our officers can't be everywhere all the time, but if we get calls from the public that there is a suspicious person in the area that is a big help," Woods said.
???Neither Berninger nor Blidner expected their cars to be targeted, and neither has heard of any break-ins since.
???"For the most part [my street] is a pretty family friendly environment," Berninger said.
???Woods stated that police have taken further measures to help catch the burglars, but could not discuss it at this time.
???"We have some things in place right now that I'd rather not talk about until we apprehend these people, but we are working on it," Woods said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
