Due to high gas prices, some students have quit driving altogether. But leaving their vehicles unattended could possibly lead to even bigger problems than an empty wallet – a car break-in.

There may not be as many car break-ins at Syracuse University as one might suspect – only about three or four a year, according to Capt. Grant Williams of the Department of Public Safety. But they do still occur.

‘I was parked down in Hanover Square, and I left my windows open just inches. A guy came in and took the CD player, four CDs, about $3 in pennies and just messed everything up,’ said Bret Rodgers, a 2005 SU alumnus. ‘I was a little mad at first, but I didn’t lose too much; if he took some pennies, he probably needed them more than I did. I reported it to the police and nothing ever happened after that.’

Ultimately, if thieves want to break into your car, they will, but there are several things that can be done to safeguard a car. Following the suggestions on this list will make your car at least a little safer, if not completely worthless to break into.

1. Keep all valuables out of site: This is THE most important guideline one can follow. Most cars are broken into not because the thief wants the car, but because they want the expensive item lying unprotected within. Cars can contain costly pieces of removable technology, whether it’s an iPod on the seat or an entire stereo system running throughout the car. Do everything you can to hide these items, every time you leave the car. ‘A person wanting to break into a car has to have the ability, the desire and the opportunity to do it,’ Williams said. ‘Students have to try to take that opportunity away. It’s just as easy to go find a vehicle that has not taken those precautions.’

2. Lock all of the doors and set the alarm: Do this every time, and double-check that it’s done. Even the worst stereo looks a lot better when a thief can just open the door and not draw attention to his/herself by doing so. And if your car doesn’t automatically come with an alarm, it may be something to look into buying. Many thieves will look for the blinking of an alarm light before attempting anything, no matter what is inside. ‘If the stuff in the car exceeds the amount of money for an alarm, then get an alarm installed in the car, because it’s a real pain in the ass to get it all fixed,’ said Peter Rossetti, a senior computer engineering major. ‘It’s really not worth it.’

3. Park your car in a well-lit area: The brighter and more crowded, the better. Every year, most of the cars at SU that are broken into are parked off campus down some dark alleyway or in an empty lot. While thefts do occur on-campus, at least on SU property there are Public Safety cars, which drive around with the sole purpose to scan for suspicious activity. ‘On campus offers limited access,’ said Will Aramony, a junior accounting and finance major. ‘There are a lot of people around. Like, there is an alarm in my car, and you can hear it from outside a garage. I think students will look out for each other to some degree.’

4. Know that the make and model of your car has very little to do with thievery: Whether a car is a brand new Mercedes SUV or a second-hand 1985 Volvo really doesn’t matter to a thief. All the thief cares about is what’s inside. ‘People will say, ‘I don’t know why my car was picked, maybe it’s because of the color, maybe it’s because I’m out of state,’ and I will ask if anything was stolen,’ Williams said. ”The first time they took my laptop, the next time they took this or that.’ It’s not because of the color, it’s because you are leaving things in the car, so stop leaving things inside the car.’

5. Don’t draw attention to yourself: Blaring music as high at it can go at one in the morning down a deserted street and then parking in an empty lot may not be the best idea in the world. Especially if the steps above are not followed, actually advertising that there is nice equipment in the car is just asking to have it robbed.

6. Do not think that because your car will only be unattended for a couple minutes, or because it’s parked in a safe place, that it will not be broken into. If the thief wants something, then the thief is going to take it. ‘I don’t think the theft was anything personal; I figured it was another college student who needed money for something,’ said Daniel Carbone, a senior biology major.

7. If a robbery does happen, don’t freak out: If you do happen to come back to a smashed in car, don’t be too alarmed. Yes, call the police and your parents, but beyond that there is very little you can do once the theft has already occurred. ‘I knew it was something I could get fixed, and no one died, but it was just an inconvenience,’ Carbone said.

8. Above all, if you have done all that you can do to make your car safe, then there is no reason to be nervous about a break-in: ‘I don’t think it’s worth worrying about,’ Williams said. ‘If you have secured the car, if you have a nothing of value, if you have removed your tape deck or something like that, then you can rest assured that your vehicle will not be broken into.’

Published on September 11, 2005 at 12:00 pm