U. tries to halt thefts from autos

Responding to the recent rise in incidents of thefts from automobiles reported on and around Penn's campus, University Police launched a joint initiative with several area institutions last Friday to curb the costly criminal practice. The new partnership, which will primarily pair the University Police with the Philadelphia Police Department, will include increased patrols, more undercover work and quicker detective response times to incident sites. "This is over and beyond the normal patrol, absolutely," University Police Chief Maureen Rush said. "This is a coordinated effort with patrol and detectives and municipal police." Penn Police will also rely heavily on several community institutions to help look out for possible incidents and warn certain drivers off their vehicle's vulnerability to theft. "We did this as a coalition," Rush said. "So not only are we doing it, but Spectaguards are doing it, [University City District] safety ambassadors are doing it, Philadelphia Police are doing it. It's really broad-based." Thefts from auto -- the unlawful removal of items from a parked automobile -- have been on the rise in recent months around campus. At one University parking lot on 33rd Street near Franklin Field, eight individual incidents of theft and one vandalism were reported in a period of less than three weeks. Rush said the new partnership would devote enhanced resources to investigating individual incidents and identifying potential offenders. "One of the things we are going to do -- the minute a report comes in of something being stolen -- is dispatch our detectives to investigate and dust for prints and collect any evidence," Rush said. "There's been some more undercover work and uniformed patrol forces directed specifically into this problem as well." Last week, two men unaffiliated with the University were apprehended by Philadelphia Police on the 3400 block of Sansom Street while attempting to break into a parked car with a collection of locksmith's tools. According to Rush, these suspects may be able to shed some light on other reported incidents in the area. "Our detectives and [Philadelphia Police Department] Southwest [District] detectives will be examining all of the crimes in the area of this type to see if there's any association with these guys," she said. And for the past three months, Penn Police have been working with the same groups to leave a series of warning leaflets on vulnerable cars parked in the area. These leaflets alert drivers of their potential mistakes -- including leaving car doors unlocked and leaving personal property in plain view -- that could eventually prove costly. Rush added that careless behavior is a principal factor in causing thefts from auto. "You'd be surprised what people leave in plain view -- purses, CD players, you name it," she said.