Daily Lobo

UNMPD: Auto thefts on the rise
By: Abigail Ramirez

Student Kirby Kleeberg has parked his vehicle on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue for three years. He thought his Mustang was safe in the well-lit area.

However, his car was broken into twice in as many weeks when he parked it there this semester, Kleeberg said.

The campus area has seen an increase in auto thefts this year, according to UNM Police. Last month, nine motor vehicle thefts were reported, according to the UNMPD online police blotter.

Five of the incidents last month happened in the 1200 block of University Blvd. N.E. Two were at 1700 Avenida Cesar Chavez, one at 1414 University Blvd. S.E. and one at 1801 Tucker Road N.E.

There have been 69 motor vehicle thefts on campus this year, an increase from 67 in 2007. According to UNMPD, there were 69 thefts reported in 2006 and 63 in 2005.

The statistics only include automobiles reported stolen; they do not account for car burglaries, according to UNMPD.

Lt. Pat Davis said most of the incidents are scattered around campus and are not in a specific area.

The first time Kleeberg's vehicle was broken into, he parked his car near a friend's home and went to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. When he got back, his window was broken, and all of his belongings were gone.

"They stole my stereo system, stole my amps, stole my subwoofers, stole everything," he said.

Car thefts peak at the beginning of the school year, when students first arrive on campus, Davis said, and this year, many crimes centered on University Boulevard.

"We closed a major auto theft ring here at the first of the year," Davis said. "We closed out a total of 30 vehicles, not only from UNM but the community at large around UNM, and that significantly decreased our numbers."

To prevent thieves from targeting students' vehicles, Davis said students should keep valuable items out of sight.

"We know from experience that burglars are looking for vehicles that have computers, textbooks, money - even spare change can be a target for someone looking to steal money," Davis said.

Many car thefts on campus are enabled by students leaving their doors unlocked or their windows open, Davis said. He said students don't secure their cars, because they think they'll be gone for only a few minutes.

Davis said students and employees can help UNMPD by reporting suspicious activity or people around campus.

"We think people telling us when they see something unusual is generally the way we catch folks," he said. "Seeing that somebody is hanging out at the bus stop and didn't get on the bus or that they are loitering and wandering up and down the rows in the parking lots - that generally is the way we catch most of the people."

He said the UNMPD is working to pinpoint where crimes are recurring on campus.

"We try to stop trends of repeat offenders before they happen," Davis said.

Kleeberg no longer parks his car in the area, but he said he isn't planning on investing in car security.