The reasons are not clear why the end of the semester brings an increase in thefts. One possibility is the end of semester textbook buy backs. Other reasons are a little less obvious. Perhaps they're looking to make some acquisitions they can take home and sell back in their hometown. Despite vigilant patrols by SIUC Police, easily less than half of the reported burglaries are solved.
Thieves use the cover of night and can see police cars entering the parking lot.
Even though one patrol might closely follow the other, property damage and thefts still occur. Sigler said in addition to random patrols, officers often park their cars in the lots while writing out reports. Even with the aggressive posture of the police presence, actually catching someone as in the case of Delpierre is rare, and thefts and damage still occur regularly. The lots hardest hit include Lot 45 across Grand Avenue from the Recreation Center and Lot 106 on South Wall Street. It was in these two lots that police say Delpierre committed his crimes.