Students struggle with off-campus car break-ins; public safety officials discuss prevention tools

Antonia Campbell
Thu, 06 Feb 2025 05:13:49 +0000
Campus, Instagram Page, News, Spring Housing, Ashley Cronin, Caitlyn McIntosh, car break-ins, car crime, cars, Columbus Division of Police, cpd, Dan Hedman, Dennis Jeffrey, Jake Mamula, Kappa Kappa Gamma, off-campus car break-ins, off-campus crime, off-campus housing, ohio state, ohio state police department, ohio state university, osu, OSUPD, Spring Housing edition

Ashley Cronin’s car was broken into in the early morning of Jan. 21 at her sorority house on E. 15th Ave. Two of her windows were smashed and shattered during the crime. Credit: Courtesy of Ashley Cronin

Columbus is no stranger to car break-ins, and Ohio State students often find themselves the victims of these crimes.

In 2024, 2,528 car break-ins were reported in Columbus, with 1,304 — or 51.5% — occurring in off-campus housing areas, according to public records obtained from the Columbus Division of Police. Most break-ins occurred in the middle of the night on weekends, according to the records.

Though a good rule of thumb is to leave cars locked and empty, Ashley Cronin, a second-year in microbiology, said doing so does not guarantee theft won’t occur.

“Every girl in our [sorority] house that’s gotten their car broken into had it locked, and they all had nothing in there,” Cronin said. “But when I watched the surveillance video, they smashed the windows before even trying to open the doors.”

Cronin said she and five others in her sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma had their cars broken into in the early morning of Jan. 21 outside their sorority house, located on East 15th Avenue.

“I think it was around midnight,” Cronin said. “They broke into six cars in our parking lot. It’s a parking lot of 35 cars, but that was it. They just broke into six cars and then left. They didn’t actually steal anything from anyone, and it’s happened to our parking lot twice now. It happened last semester too.”

Cronin’s own surveillance footage shows two cars pulling into the parking lot and breaking into multiple cars before leaving.

“All six of us filed a police report individually, but we weren’t able to provide them with a license plate because our camera is pretty bad,” Cronin said. “So, they’re really not doing anything. I know it happens every year, and there’s nothing we can do because we can’t install a gate. We have a little fence, but there’s no gate, so there’s nothing really stopping them.”

Jake Mamula, a third-year in finance, said his car was broken into at his home on West 8th Avenue over the summer, but nothing was taken.

“There’s been a couple times where I’ve left my doors unlocked, and you can pretty much always count on if you leave your doors unlocked, people are going to open them and try and take whatever they can get,” Mamula said. “They stole packs of gum, and I was worried about my sunglasses because they were nice, but they were still in.”

This wasn’t the only time Mamula had his car broken into. The second time Mamula was a victim of car theft, he said the outcome wasn’t as fortunate.

“I left my car doors unlocked, and they stole my vintage Polo sport bag that had my gym notebook in it,” Mamula said. “They also stole my sunglasses. So, they got me for a pretty large pot on that one.”

Of course, car break-ins aren’t limited to off-campus housing, as they can also occur on campus.

University spokesperson Dan Hedman said in an email there was a “recent uptick” in vehicular theft on campus, with one notable instance taking place in the Kinnear Road parking lots Jan. 16.?

“I can confirm that Ohio State was among the locations across central Ohio with multiple instances of theft from auto on the morning of Thursday, January 16,” Hedman said. “Multiple cars along Kinnear Road were broken into and had items stolen. OSUPD is investigating and working with other local agencies that were impacted that day.”

Hedman said car break-ins aren’t unique to Columbus, and there are ways students can help prevent break-ins on their own.

“Theft from auto and auto theft are a problem not just across the city but across the U.S.,” Hedman said. “As for prevention strategies, police recommend never leaving valuables in your vehicle — especially not in plain sight. Lock all doors and secure the vehicle with windows up. Park in well-lit areas and, again, do not leave keys or other valuables inside your vehicle.”

As for what the Ohio State University Police Department has done to mitigate these break-ins, Hedman said patrol and surveillance methods are already in place.

“Both University Police and non-sworn university security patrol campus parking lots and parking garages,” Hedman said. “In addition, the university added security cameras at all parking garage entrances a few years ago. If you see something suspicious, report it to police. On campus, call OSUPD at 614-292-2121. Always dial 9-1-1 in emergencies.”

In the off-campus community, however, Cronin said she believes more resources could be implemented to prevent persistent break-ins, as she feels not much can typically be done after the fact.

“I don’t see how there’s anything the police can do after it’s happened,” Cronin said. “I don’t think they do enough to prevent it, just because it happens so often, and they definitely could have people patrolling or something like that.”

Mamula, on the other hand, said more patrolling might not help resolve the issue as much as a solution that would stop people from committing the crimes in general. But as of now, he said an exact solution remains unclear.?

“It’s a tough thing, Columbus police can only do so much,” Mamula said. “I don’t know if more policing is really the answer to those kinds of problems that we have in our society. Ideally, we wouldn’t have people that feel the need to break into cars. But at the end of the day, don’t leave your car unlocked. That’s probably a good way to go about it.”

OSUPD Chief Dennis Jeffrey said in an email there are steps students can take if they find themselves in similar situations to Mamula or Cronin.

“If a person does find their vehicle broken into and there appears to be no suspects in the area, call the OSUPD non-emergency phone number immediately,” Jeffrey said. “Do not touch any surfaces or remove any property that does not belong to you. There could be potential evidence that officers might be able to obtain. If you see someone still in your car, do not approach them, get a safe distance away, and call 911 immediately.”

Caitlyn McIntosh, a spokesperson for CPD, said in an email the police division is “using technology, social media, and officers specifically dedicated to identifying and apprehending perpetrators.”

“In many cases, vehicle break-ins target vehicles that the perpetrators believe may contain valuables,” McIntosh said. “In addition, officers regularly meet with stakeholders who have experienced break-ins, such as hotel and motel associations, shopping centers, and areas where a lot of vehicles are parked. We continue to work with our community and law enforcement partners on strategies to address this issue.”

Similar to Hedman, McIntosh said there are ways to combat car break-ins on an individual level.

“You can reduce the likelihood of a break-in by not leaving valuables inside your vehicle, especially any firearms,” McIntosh said. “If possible, park in well-lit areas where you can see your vehicle. As you come and go from your vehicle, be aware of your surroundings and do your best to not be distracted.”