Spring Break
UPD radar picking up
on false theft reports
Higher demand leading to increase in reports of permit theft
Therese Bratberg, Daily Staff Writer
- Page 1 of 1
UPD suspects some students have falsely reported their permits stolen or lost in order to give them to a friend, and then buying a replacement permit for only $10.
Last week, seven parking permits were reported lost or stolen, and five reports were taken for people in possession of a permit reported lost or stolen, according to UPD.
Seven of last week's incidents occurred in the 10th Street garage, but some were also reported from the Fourth and Seventh Street garages.
Capt. Bruce Lowe said the police are not always able to detect whether someone's permit was actually stolen or if the permit was falsely reported stolen to give to someone else.
Lowe said the number of stolen parking permits has increased because they are in demand now more than before.
"Permits have always been a hot item," he said. "But this year, because it is more expensive, it is a hotter item."
Matching up two permits being used simultaneously under the same name is a way to identify the crime, he said.
"We can sometimes obtain it in the process of investigation," he said. "We put it on a hot list and go looking for the permit."
When the police find the reported stolen permit on another car, they cite the vehicle and look for the person who owns it, Lowe said.
They boot the vehicle, which means they mobilize it by locking a tire with an immobilization device so the driver cannot drive or move the vehicle, he said.
Lowe said this procedure is followed by a report.
There are penalties that sustain the thefts, and they are taken seriously, he said.
"The students can expect some sort of sanction from the university via the Office of Student Judicial Affairs," he said.
If the criminal justice system does not get involved, Lowe said the consequences can be suspension, expulsion or community service through judicial affairs.
"It can take a number of different angles," he said.
Anna Palileo, a freshman majoring in nursing, said she thinks more permits are getting stolen because of increased prices.
"We pay $115, and we're not even guaranteed a spot," she said.
Parking problems have been getting worse with more cars and permit prices suddenly increasing from $81 to $115 without notice, some students said.
"I come from work at 5:30 p.m., and I have to drive around for 15 minutes just to find a parking space or just to wait for someone," Palileo said. "They should lower the price."
As of Friday Oct. 25, 24 permits have been reported stolen, according to UPD.
Whether permits are stolen by forcible entries of cars or people forget to lock their vehicles, students have reasons to be concerned about thefts of parking permits.
Lowe said the best advice UPD has to the community is for everyone to lock their vehicles, and if someone takes a permit, report it to the police.
He said an arrest was made in Joe West Hall of someone who had stolen nearly 17 permits out of unlocked cars in the parking garages and made profit off of them.
Miriam Thompson, a freshman biology major, said that although she always locks her car, she takes precautions.
"I stick (the permit) on the window instead of the display thing because it takes more time to peel it off the window," she said. "People want to be quick about it."
Lowe said the police are usually busy dealing with more serious issues than stolen parking permits, but if UPD is notified of a stolen permit, one of the parking officers will respond and follow up on it.
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