There has been a recent rash of vehicle thefts at the Valle Verde campus.
EPCC police announced that one Jeep Liberty was stolen and another was broken into with the intent to steal, and two motorcycles have been stolen from the parking lot during both day and evening classes.
EPCC Police Chief J.R. Grijalva said his department is taking steps to try and stem the thefts.
“Their will be undercover police officers in the parking lots occasionally to try and catch these criminals,” Grijalva said.
Along with these measures, Grijalva issued an e-mail to the EPCC community listing a number of tips on how to better
protect their vehicle from auto thieves.
Among these are to roll up windows, lock your doors, never leave valuables in plain view, never leave the car running unattended, never leave any keys in the car or ignition. Also, drivers should always park in high-traffic, well-lit areas, when possible.
Some students feel a greater show of security might discourage potential thefts.
“Maybe we need more security on campus,” said EPCC student Flor Lopez. “I am afraid of my car being stolen since Honda Civics are number 10 on the list of top cars stolen in El Paso.”
Valle Verde isn’t the only place that has experienced an increase in auto thefts.
According to the FBI’s annual Crime in the United States report, there were 920 more auto thefts in 2006 than in 2005 in the city of El Paso.
So far the trend has only affected one EPCC campus.
“Valle Verde has been the only campus hit,” Grijalva said. “It is unknown how they stole the vehicles … car thieves can steal cars in under two minutes.”
Grijalva added that the vehicles are usually stolen and taken to Juarez where they are sold for parts.
According to the EPCC police department, the top five vehicles stolen in the El Paso area are Chevy Silverado, Dodge Ram 1500, Ford F150, Ford F250 and GMC Yukon. Honda Civics are number 10 on the list.
“Many sections of the parking lots are monitored by cameras,” said Grijalva.
