Tuesday, February 17, 1998
Burglars pinch coveted permits
CRIME: Campus parking passes figure in majority of recent car
break-ins
By Nick Rodrigues
Daily Bruin Contributor
Car stereos, CDs: most would think that these items would be the
motivation for car break-ins, but according to UC Police Department
records, the main motivation on campus is parking permits.
Between Jan. 16 and Jan. 31 there were a total of 12 car
break-ins, and parking permits were the motivating factor for nine
of those. Since the beginning of the winter quarter, 22 permits
have been reported stolen from motor vehicles, an average of more
than 4.5 per week. Half have been recovered.
University police Detective Steve Blayney said that these
figures weren’t necessarily the average, but that they were
certainly consistent. He also stated that occasionally the thefts
"might go up during student enrollment."
According to Blayney, burglary from a motor vehicle is a felony
crime, but if individuals have no prior record they may get lucky
and charged with a misdemeanor.
The detective also pointed out that a majority of parking
permits are reported stolen rather than lost.
"In the past, people have reported their parking permits stolen,
but sold them to someone else," he said.
Blayney pointed out that these individuals are defrauding the
university and could be charged with "conspiracy to commit a
fraud." He also explained that most thieves see stealing parking
permits as a victimless crime.
Nevertheless, there are victims, such as Oliver Sy, a civil
engineering student whose parking permit was stolen while he was
celebrating the Chinese New Year. He admits to leaving his sun roof
open slightly for a few hours, but it wasn’t until two days later
that he found three tickets on his windshield.
"It’s a big hassle for everyone," Sy said. "I don’t know why
they did it, there’s no purpose to it; they just cancel the old
permit and issue a new one."
Sy went to the police department. and received a new permit
almost immediately. However, he is still waiting to find out if he
has to pay for the parking tickets.
Despite instances such as Sy’s, parking permit thefts are not
seen as a serious problem by either police or Transportation
Services. Director of Transportation Services Mark Stocki, and
Penny Menton, associate director of transportation services, both
stressed that their emphasis is on parking security in general, not
just stolen permits.
"In the last few years (the security of parking structures) has
been a real priority," Menton said.
Stocki explained that there are continuous patrols of parking
structures, that lighting in these structures exceed code
requirements, and that Campus Parking Services has biweekly
meetings with police, parking enforcers, and Community Service
officers where security data is exchanged almost immediately.
Stocki said that he didn’t want to belittle the issue, but
"parking permit theft is relatively small compared to the number
given out," he said.
"I don’t like to see any break-ins for any reasons," Stocki
said, "When we catch people that do this, we prosecute with the
district attorney’s office."
Although many stolen permits are found by parking enforcement
officers, Blayney admits that a good percentage of parking permit
thieves get away with the crime.
"Parking permit theft really isn’t high on the patrol officers
list," Blayney said.
However, Blayney explained that if a vehicle is found with a
stolen permit, it will be instantly towed and its owner arrested.
He emphasized that the cost would be worse than if the individual
had just bought a permit.
Blayney stressed that the best way to secure your permit would
be to stick it directly on to the windshield, and to secure the
vehicle.
"However, if someone is determined to get your parking permit,
they’re going to get it," Blayney said.