Car thefts and break-ins in the University area have doubled in the last year, and with winter break approaching, Eugene police are urging students to be extra careful when leaving their vehicles during the vacation.
Since the beginning of the year, thieves have broken into cars throughout Eugene in record numbers, and police expect this number to increase during the holidays.
During the break, cars will be parked in the same spot for an extended period, which can make them targets by thieves who tend to work in one area, Eugene police officer Randy Ellis said. Also, patrols in the area will be decreased during the holidays because more officers will be requesting time off, he said.
Thieves are seeing items from outside the car and they break windows to steal them, Ellis said.
“They’re doing it really fast,” he said.
When parking their car, students should remove everything of value, including stereo faceplates and removable speakers, Ellis said.
Car owners should also make sure that nothing of value is visible in the car, Ellis said.
Ellis recommends having a trusted friend drive the car during the break so the vehicle is not left in one spot and trying to park in a visible location.
Lack of prosecution by the district attorney’s office, increased drug activity and a limited number of police officers on patrol contribute to the increase, Ellis said.
Students should also report a break-in, no matter how small the theft, Ellis said.
Police aren’t likely to catch the thief, but Ellis said 50 percent of thefts are not reported, which makes it difficult for police to track crime.
“The best thing we can do is educate the public to make themselves less likely to be a victim,” he said. “We’d rather not have the crime at all.”
Over the Thanksgiving weekend, eight cars where reportedly broken into in the University area that Ellis monitors, he said.
University student Elisabeth Foitle’s 2000 Toyota 4Runner was broken into over Thanksgiving break after she left it parked outside her home near East 16th Avenue and Mill Street while visiting her friend’s family in Klamath Falls.
The would-be thief broke the driver’s door lock but didn’t get into the vehicle. Foitle was a victim of theft earlier this year when someone broke into her car and stole clothing and perfume, she said.
John Lesh, a junior at the University of Montana, was visiting friends when his car was broken into between midnight and 3 a.m. Thursday. Lesh said bags of clothing, a snowboard and an iPod were stolen, totaling more than $2,000 in losses.

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