Hanson and Capt. Les Wheeler suggested a few other precautions for students to take when they park their cars. Hanson said students should either remove valuables from their cars or at least conceal them from plain view. Some items targeted by thieves are stereos and radar detectors. But it is something that a lot of people don't think about, he said.
People hear the nice stereo and then see where the driver parks.
Despite the figures for this month, Wheeler said, the yearly averages of thefts from motor vehicles has decreased significantly over the past 20 years. While the averages used to be about 30-40 thefts from cars per year, they have now decreased to about 15 thefts. A rash of car break-ins has Drake Campus Security Services working with city and neighborhood leaders. Hans Hanson, campus security chief, says September is usually a high-crime month.