Another wave of vehicle break-ins hits Duke

Five vehicle break-ins were reported Friday afternoon at 751 Parking Lot on Science Drive. This is the second wave of car break-ins in two weeks.

Officials said they believe Friday’s incidents are related, but there is no evidence they are associated with the six Sept. 19 car break-ins across three campus lots—the Washington Duke Inn and Golf Club, R. David Thomas Conference Center and Parking Garage II lots, said Assistant Chief Gloria Graham of the Duke University Police Department. No suspects have been identified for the most recent incidents.

“There was a small window of time in which [the Friday break-ins] occurred,” Graham said. “If they were unrelated, different individuals would’ve been breaking into cars at the same time.”

The culprits had smashed the car windows and taken items that were in plain view, Graham said. The items total $2,660 in value, according to DUPD reports.

Since the incidents, DUPD has altered security schedules to increase patrols in the area. Duke Parking and Transportation has sent an e-mail to the lot’s permit holders reminding them to keep items out of sight, Graham noted. DUPD’s crime prevention unit is also distributing fliers to those who use the parking lot.

In addition, the unit is conducting a security survey to look at environmental changes that may improve the lot’s safety—such as removing shrubbery so individuals have a clearer view of the parking lot, Graham said. Results are expected by the end of the week.

“We want to make sure that we aren’t, by design, making that lot attractive to individuals to commit that particular crime,” Graham said.

Last month, DUPD wrote approximately 660 “Gotcha” tickets, or fliers that warn individuals that they have left valuable items in vulnerable spots. The majority of the tickets were placed on car windshields.