We constantly patrol the decks and things of that nature, but we can’t sit in there for 24 hours.”
– Sergeant Sharon Ware
Since the start of the fall semester nine cars have either been broken into or have been attempted to be broken into, according to Georgia State police’s daily crime reports.
The crimes reported included one at the Turner Field parking lot and one on Kimball Way near the Natural Science Center.
Ashley Broadus, a film and arts student, said even though she parks her vehicle at Turner Field, she still feels safe.
“I feel pretty safe parking there. The bus takes you relatively close to your car and the police are generally in the parking lot all day,” she said. “I lock my car when I get to the lot and I don’t leave anything of value in sight.”
Sergeant Sharon Ware, crime prevention specialist of the Georgia State police, said these simple measures Ashley takes can make thieves less likely to break into cars.
“Most of it occurs because people leave things in plain view in their vehicles, so people that set out to steal from other individuals walk past their vehicles and see things of value in plain view and a lot of times, that’s how the vehicles get broken into,” Ware said.
According to five university crime reports, students were victims of auto theft because they left objects such as GPS systems and their cell phones in their cars.
However the decks are patrolled at varied intervals during the day, according to Ware.
“We constantly patrol the decks and things of that nature, but we can’t sit in there for 24 hours,” she said.
Ware also said another challenge is identifying those who are not supposed to be on the decks because some of these persons can look like regular students, visitors or staff.
Parking in the university decks, however, is still safer than leaving the car on the street, according to Ware.
“I would say it’s definitely safe to park in the parking decks of Georgia State University, but we would ask that students and staff make sure they don’t park and leave items of value in the interior of their vehicles,” she said.
