An email sent out by the Department of Public Safety on Feb. 8 alerted students of the recent surge in vehicle break-in thefts on Hofstra’s campus and in Nassau County. A number of students have recently filed reports with Public Safety regarding break-ins and thefts from their vehicles parked on campus. Public Safety says that personal belongings taken include money, as well as GPS devices. They’re working closely with Nassau County Police Department (NCPD) to resolve the issue, according to Public Safety, but students who have been victims of the crimes remain unsatisfied with what is being done to remedy the situation.
“My parents and I have spent the last couple of weeks working with Public Safety to try and figure out how to make this right, but so far nothing’s happened,” says one student who chose to remain anonymous while the investigation is ongoing. “It just kind of sucks that they keep telling us that there’s nothing they can do about it.”
While according to the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report there was only one reported autovehicle theft on Hofstra’s campus last year, students understand that these incidents can happen anywhere.
“I’ve always felt pretty safe on this campus,” said a junior residential student who said they were a victim of a similar theft. The student additionally requested to not be identified by name. “I have friends back home who’ve had their cars broken into and their things taken. This school’s no different.”
The same student also talked about the role of responsibility of a car owner. “If you’re smart with your car, you shouldn’t have any issues. I didn’t lock my car one night and the next morning I found that someone had rifled through my glove compartment. That’s on me.”
Marin Varney, a senior engineering major, agrees that it comes down to personal responsibility.
“I already am cautious, always locking all my doors and making sure valuables aren’t in sight,” Varney said. “The biggest ‘change’ – if you can even call it that – is making sure I bring in everything with me that could be a potential valuable to anyone else. But these occurrences don’t have me acting or thinking any differently when it comes to my car.”
Public Safety has advised students that locking your vehicle is the best way to prevent thefts. They also advised students in the same email to “not leave valuables in your vehicle” and to “keep items such as GPS devices, loose change, power cords or chargers out of plain sight.”
Public Safety suggested that you park in “highly visible, well-lit areas. Avoid parking near shrubbery or structures that will conceal your car.”
Any student with information on thefts or break-ins is encouraged to call Public Safety at 516-463-6606. For more information or additional tips to protect against break-ins or thefts, students can call the information desk at 516-463-7878.