The weekend of Sept. 17-19, the Northwest Oklahoma City area experienced a wave of automobile burglaries. Over 40 auto burglaries were reported in one weekend, most occurring in large parking lots at night. There were four auto burglaries reported between the OCU campus and the OCU Law School campus during that same weekend.
Oklahoma City University Police Chief Dexter Nelson said suspects of this crime are alleged to be male juveniles – either teenagers or young adults.
OCU students reported to have seen juvenile males during these time frames climbing over parking garage fences in the Cokesbury Apartments and Methodist Hall lots. These residential parking lots are typically accessed only through secured keycard swiping or confidential codes. The Cokesbury Apartments have an open gate due to ongoing renovation; however, it is not known if those burglarizing vehicles took advantage of that entrance.
“Thieves look for areas that give them the best opportunity to get away with the theft,” Nelson said.
Areas specifically targeted for these crimes include any places with a large quantity of vehicles that are likely left parked for long spans of time, or less secure areas with simple escape routes.
Students are urged to report any suspicious activity or individuals viewed on campus to the campus police so that they can respond to the scene.
Nelson said that campus police are implementing additional patrols around campus and on surrounding streets in response to the recent crime wave, specifically at night. These patrolling officers will look for people on campus who do not appear to be associated with the university and promptly question them. Those identified as students will be dismissed as belonging on campus.
Nelson said that if any student should feel upset by an encounter with nightly patrol officers, they should call (405)-208-5001 to speak with a supervisor regarding the experience.
To reduce one’s personal risk of becoming a victim of automobile burglary, Nelson said not to leave valuables, or anything that could be considered valuable in the car. “What might not be worth much to you, might be worth a lot to someone else,” Nelson said.
Taking these precautions can help mitigate the risk of one’s car being targeted. If you see any suspicious activity on campus, please immediately alert campus police at (405)-208-5911 for emergencies, or (405)-208-5001 for non-emergencies.
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