Doing the ‘simple things’ can help reduce risk of a vehicle break-in

By Lee Kling

SOMETHING no one wants to hear is that there has been a rise in scares and attempted car break-ins near campus. Although none have occurred on campus, there have been some attempts and suspicious people noticed around the campus.

But we can all take a breath, said Ed Bruder, the chief of police at York College of Pennsylvania. This hasn’t become a big issue we all need to panic about.

Bruder added that no one has been affected by this on campus although it has occurred off campus and students should be aware that it could indeed happen.

“Simple things as making sure your doors are locked, windows are put up, keeping valuable things out of sight and parking in well-lit areas are just a few ways of preventing yourself from becoming a victim,” Bruder said.

Pictured from left, Director of Campus Safety Police Ed Bruder and Lt. Tim Langletz, posing for a story on a donation of bulletproof vests that the Department of Campus Safety made this spring to fighters in Ukraine. (York College of Pa. photo)

What exactly has York College campus police been doing to help prevent this from moving on to campus? Bruder said that his officers are constantly out on patrol and being a visible deterrent. There have also been a few occasions where they’ve seen suspicious activity on campus related to car break-ins and they’ve pursued the individuals and chased them off.

The department also sends out emergency alert notifications to students if there is an incident on campus and lets them know what steps they should take.

Although it’s nothing we as students need to freak out about, there are many ways you can prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

Perhaps the most important is to park on campus albeit recognizing that parking became more of an issue this fall with the removal of the garage. Jackson Street as well as all the side streets are not jurisdiction of York College.

Parking on campus can be safer rather than on the surrounding streets. There are plenty of well-lit areas, cameras, police presence and more people that may deter someone from committing a crime.

Said Bruder, “Keep your eyes open, report any incidents or things you see to campus police. We can all work together to prevent this from happening and becoming victims.”

Lee Kling is a senior majoring in criminology and minoring in communications.

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