Listen Here
By Abbie Stevens, StevensA6@Findlay.edu
On Monday, Oct. 28, UF Safety and Security sent an email to University of Findlay students about recent incidents of cars being entered on campus. According to the email sent out by Safety and Security, an individual has been walking through campus parking lots, entering unlocked cars, and stealing anything deemed valuable.
In an email exchange with Safety and Security, it was established that six cars were entered and/or stolen from as of Tuesday afternoon. There are no particular lots being targeted, but the time is usually between 3 and 4 a.m.
“If they see something, say something,” Safety and Security said. “As far as vehicles being entered, lock them and do not leave anything of value in them.”
No leads have been identified. The only identifying information on the suspect is that they are male, usually dressed in black, and have been seen carrying a skateboard.
This isn’t the first time an incident has occurred that targeted cars on campus. In March of 2021, 15 cars were vandalized on campus with a combination of egging and spray painting. However, in that situation, the suspects were identified within 24 hours of the UF community being notified of the incident, according to UF Safety and Security.
These instances of vandalism and theft in UF parking lots over the past few years are raising safety concerns for some students, however. The office of Safety and Security states that there is at least one security camera in each parking lot, but some students still report feeling unsafe in campus parking lots after dark.
“When living on campus I felt that parking lots were dark, and I often avoided them after sunset,” junior Mackala Krichbaum said. “When living here (UF campus) the closest parking lot that was typically empty was the one past Koehler Fitness Center. This lot was so far away, so I was uncomfortable going out alone. This parking lot also lacked lighting in certain locations and had an area with trees that anyone could easily stand in while it was dark.”
