A crime of opportunity known as “smash and grabs” was predicted by some to be a problem in downtown parking lots when the Downtown campus opened, but so far it hasn’t been an issue, ASU police officials said.
“A smash and grab would be, for example, in a car, when you smash a window, reach in, grab the item and leave,” said Jim Hardina, ASU police commander on the Tempe campus.
Hardina said there were no reported thefts or burglaries downtown in 2008. In 2009, he said, 26 thefts and one burglary were reported.
Stewart Adams, ASU police crime-prevention coordinator, said no smash and grabs near the Downtown campus have been reported in recent months.
“We contribute that to people keeping the valuables out of their cars,” Adams said.
ASU police advise students to keep valuable items in places that are not easily visible. Even loose change can trigger a break-in.
As a precaution, ASU is handing out fliers with prevention tips during orientation and safety fairs, said Richard Wilson, commander of ASU police on the Downtown campus.
“We have our police aides go to parking lots to see if there’s anything unusual,” said Wilson, who added that parking lots downtown are checked hundreds of times a month.
The parking lots that are further away from campus are also checked just as often and are not considered unsafe due to their locations, Wilson said.
If someone is a victim of a smash and grab, Adams said he advises calling ASU or Phoenix police as soon as possible.
“There are call boxes in all structures,” he said.
Adams said if a smash and grab does occur, it is not a good idea to touch or disturb the vehicle.
“Let us check it and do fingerprints and find what broke the window, how it was broken and what was taken,” he said.
Adams said the Phoenix police have done a good job filling the area near the Downtown campus with police patrol.
“So what happens is the message goes out that it’s not a good place to steal from, which is what we want,” Adams said.
Adams said that smash and grabs have been decreasing, and he attributes it to the great job the Phoenix police have been doing.
“We felt (smash and grabs) could be a problem when we first opened the campus,” Adams said. “It hasn’t been as big as a problem as we thought it would be.”
Contact the reporter at mgutier8@asu.edu
