Locking your door may not be enough to prevent your car from being stolen or burglarized on campus, ASU police said.
In the past week, two cars were burglarized in Lot 17, one in Lot 37 and one in Lot 40. Two cars were stolen from campus. One was taken from Structure 5 and the other from Lot 63, according to police logs.
Seventy-five cars have been stolen and 179 burglarized on campus since January. In 2002, 212 cars were burglarized and 105 stolen from campus.
ASU police said they had no immediate plan for preventing such crimes.
"We're in talks with the Tempe Police Department to join forces in an effort to alleviate some of the car theft problems on campus," said ASU police Lt. John Sutton.
"This is something that may happen several months down the road, as we have to determine what officers can be assigned to patrol the campus parking lots and what assistance Tempe can give us," he said.
Sutton said he could not specify a date when a theft and burglary prevention program might be initiated.
Regardless of where a vehicle is parked, it may be vulnerable to theft or burglary.
"There really is no magic formula," Sutton said. "Cars may be more susceptible to crime in Lot 59 because it's so large and open.
"Other times, a thief may feel more secluded in a multi-level structure. It depends on who is doing the stealing and what their method of operation is," he added.
Sutton also said cars with expensive stereo systems are at increased risk for burglary and theft, in addition to cars whose owners leave CDs, cell phones and other expensive items in plain view.
Sociology senior Melinda Callicoat parks in Lot 44 and said even though she has never had her car stolen or burglarized, it is a concern.
"I pay $210 to park in that lot. I'm upset that I pay that much money and don't have my car protected," she said.
The number of car thefts and burglaries on campus reflects an even greater increase in the number of vehicle-related crimes in Tempe and statewide over the past few years.
According to the city of Tempe Web site, the frequency of auto theft in the city rose 13.7 percent, from 2,827 to 3,215, between 2001 and 2002.
However, Tempe officer Jeff Lane said police reacted to the increased car thefts with efforts to educate the public about theft prevention.
"We invited the public to attend theft prevention classes and distributed steering wheel lock devices," Lane said.
The Arizona Automobile Theft Authority reported that Arizona was the No. 1 state for car thefts in the nation, citing a 10 percent increase in auto thefts since 2001, with 56,876 vehicles stolen in 2002.
Ann Armstrong of the AATA attributed the increase to two primary factors.
"Over the past several years, Arizona has experienced a huge population growth, meaning that there are simply more cars available for crimes to be committed against them," she said. "Additionally, the economy slump of 2001 and 2002 provided more incentive for people to steal cars, some of which are used in other criminal acts."
The most common car models stolen in Tempe are Ford F150 series trucks, Dodge Neons and Honda Accords, according to Tempe police.
The bottom line, according to Sutton, is that cars are susceptible in all lots and structures on campus and elsewhere.
"Lock your doors, arm the alarm and consider investing in a steering wheel lock to protect your vehicle and its contents," he said.
Reach the reporter at kelly.vaughn@asu.edu.
