Students don’t just have the stress of reading obituaries or handing in their assignments on time, according to reports in Cal State LA, they now have other things to worry about. Recent news in LA suggests crime rates have risen, and those reports couldn’t be any truer for student David Tecum, who had his beloved Honda Civic stolen from under his nose on campus.
A shocking statistic for those residing in any state across the United States – a car is stolen every 23 seconds, according to FBI statistics. Apparently, it takes just under a minute for an experienced car thief to get away in a 1993 Honda Civic, much to the disappointment of Mr. Tecum. Mr. Tecum was, of course, very disappointed to come out of campus to find his car had disappeared. He said, “paying for parking, you would think you would have some sort of security when it comes to housing your vehicle”. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t be any more wrong – and it seems to be a growing problem on campus these days.
Why is this such a problem you might ask? You would think David was just unlucky to have his car parked at the top of Lot A at the wrong time. However, it’s not just David who’s been a victim this year. Miriam Garcia, another student in CSU (California State University), also had her Honda Civic taken away from her while it was sitting comfortably in Structure B, some way from Lot A.
As stated above, crime is rising in LA, especially when it comes to car theft. According to the yearly on campus report in CSU, crime on campus has risen considerably this year compared to any previous years. Of course, those students looking to gain knowledge of business by studying an online MBA degree using one of the many online MBA programs don’t necessarily have this problem, but it’s now frightening on campus students off from leaving their vehicles behind.
The local police department has reported that a total of 9 cars have been stolen on campus alone this year, a staggering statistic that is guaranteed to make students ponder their traveling arrangements. Some students have even gone as far as taking alternative transport methods because they’re so afraid of leaving their car in multiple lots that should be safe.
It’s pretty much out of universities hands in this respect, but they’re all looking into extra security methods to ensure this isn’t a long-term problem. Security cameras are being implemented to hopefully fend off some criminals, but there isn’t much else they can do with the budgets they’re handed.
While car theft crime is rising in California, so are the many other crimes in the sunny state. Will this continue to be a problem for on campus students? Or will the local police departments come to some arrangement with local universities to hand out security protection?
