With the spring weather inching its way toward Plymouth State University, it’s important for students to remain aware of themselves and their property. Warmer weather means more time spent outside, and unfortunately that comes with a higher risk of car break-ins.

The University Police Chief, Steven Temperino, has some advice for car safety after a crime alert that went out last week.

On Tuesday, February 13th, Steven Temperino sent out an email to the campus community. It said that someone gained access to student’s cars on and around Emerson Street. The case has since been transferred to the Plymouth Police, and the investigation is on-going.

The reports included that someone shuffled through their belongings, without actually taking anything. Nothing was reported stolen, and so the UPD believes that the person was looking for something speci c. “It’s generally money,” Temperino said, “Sometimes people leave money and wallets in their cars, and money is something that can easily be used.” Even pocket change on the oor of your car can make someone want to break in. People sometimes tend to leave their wallets, bags, or purses in their cars when they are doing errands. It’s important to be aware of the potential threat of car theft, even if you are only leaving your car for a few minutes. “Automobiles are not the best place to keep valuables in the rst place,” Temperino said, “Sometimes we leave money or change in the dashboard. That attracts people.” Everyone, not just college students, should prioritize taking everything valuable with you, rather than leaving it in cars.

Since there was no reports of any damage to the cars, it is believed that the cars were likely unlocked. It is imperative to always lock car doors, especially at night. Car break-ins and car theft are more likely to happen at night, when it can go undetected. “People who do these things are opportunists, they look for the path of least resistance,” Temperino said, “They often pull on door knobs of many cars, if its open then they look around, and if its locked they move on.” Usually in cases like these, perpetrators have to go through a lot cars before they nd one that was left unlocked. People should get into the habit of locking their cars immediately, to ensure their safety.

Another factor that can make drivers safer is parking. “Keeping your car parked under a streetlight is wise, because the perpetrator won’t have the ability to be covert, and easily seen by others,” Temperino said. A lot of people are not aware of this simple strategy. Cars that are parked in the dark are more likely to get broken into than one sat under a streetlight. Something as simple as parking under a streetlight, or other illuminated areas can protect people and their property.

Temperino believes that students should be familiar with the campus Crime Log. Go to the general PSU website, and search for the Crime Log. From there, one can access an offcial log of crimes and res that have occurred on campus in 2018. A crime and re log of the town of Plymouth is also available. It’s important to stay updated on local crime in order to be aware and take the right precautions. “Sometimes we get into our own little worlds and we forget that things happen here,” Temperino said, “It’s important to know what is going on, on our campus.”

If anyone has any information on this ongoing crime on Emerson Street, they should contact the Plymouth Police at 536-1804, or use the con dential TIPS phone line at 535-3535.