Car break-ins have been increasing this year on the streets of Eugene and in apartment parking garages, even as they’ve been a recurring incident for the city over the years.
According to the Eugene Police Department, “approximately 2,556 car break-ins occurred in 2020 in Eugene.” That number has jumped to 4,133 in 2024 according to police records. This is a nearly 62% increase in car break-ins within four years.
“Theft from a vehicle is one of the most common crimes in our area,” Melinda McLaughlin, EPD public information director, said. “In many cases, the victims had left property visible in the vehicle.”
More individuals have recently become victims of car break-ins without anything even being stolen from their cars. University of Oregon student Peyton Kendall recently experienced a car break-in at 17th and Patterson.
“It was daylight and they had a 35-minute window,” Kendall said. “Someone smashed the window and went through my stuff, and didn’t steal anything.”
With more windows being smashed and in need of repair, auto shops have seen appointment times for window and glass repair filling up more frequently.
“[Break-in repairs] increased a lot from the prior two years, and now with the 24-25 school year, it has already increased a lot since last year,” Jim Olsen, owner of Olsen’s Auto Glass, said. “This year they’re breaking into locked parking lots, like buildings with cages.”
New student apartment buildings being built in Eugene have created more opportunities for break-ins to occur as the city grows.. Katherine Imagawa, a resident at The Standard at Eugene, said that she isn’t comfortable knowing theft is common where she lives. Imagawa said that she and other friends have experienced car break-ins and theft in cars around their apartment building.
“My personal experience with living at The Standard has felt violated because I entrusted the security and they failed to do so,” Imagawa said. “They failed to keep the garage secure and safe, which led to my wallet and keys being stolen out of my friend’s car that was broken into in the parking garage.”
The EPD made a public message advising citizens to lock their vehicles and not leave anything inside to significantly decrease their chances of becoming victims of car break-in crimes.
