By Zorian Edwards, Editor-in-Chief
On Sept. 3 at 2:04 p.m., a campus alert was sent out to all students and faculty detailing a vehicle break-in. The incident occurred within Lot D, the parking lot behind the Yurtchuk Student Center, and was reported by a campus community member.
“It has been confirmed that the car was broken into by breaking the passenger-side front window for access,” the campus alert email stated. “The persons breaking into the vehicle can be described as driving a black SUV and wearing all black and a face covering.”
The Amherst Police were notified. More details of the incident have not been released.
Another vehicle break-in was attempted on Sept. 19 at the same location at approximately 9:15 a.m.
“They were unsuccessful breaking into the vehicle and fled the campus driving a silver Kia,” the alert stated.
The alert goes on to describe the appearance of the person.
“The individual can be described as male presenting, with dark skin, wearing a tan colored hoodie, black shorts, white socks and dark colored sneakers with white bottoms,” The email stated.
It is unclear if it was the same individual in both incidents.
“Daemen University continues to be an incredibly safe campus,” Dr. Kristen Mruk, Assistant Dean for Campus Safety and Operations, said. “We have an excellent Campus Safety department, a strong relationship with Amherst Police, and a well-trained community who continues to be vigilant, observant, and report concerns to us.”
Due to the sudden increase in car-related crimes, some students express concerns.
“I do… now take notice of what I’m leaving out in the open in my vehicle,” junior English major Emma Elliott said. “I have never left windows open or doors unlocked in my car and I usually hide my wallet when around Buffalo or new places. Now, I just take all my important belongings with me and leave nothing with value behind. Maybe I am overprepared due to anxiety, or maybe I’m just playing it safe. Either way, I leave nothing behind.”
Mruk sent out campus alerts to inform students of the situation and remind them of precautions they can take to help make sure these incidents decrease.
“Our Campus Safety department is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” Mruk said. “They diligently monitor the campus through camera coverage, active campus-wide patrols, and utilize our on-call team to respond to emergent concerns in a timely manner.”
Mruk and Campus Safety would like to remind those with vehicles on campus of the following:
“I was first made aware of these break-ins about a day after each incident via email,” senior animation major Tyler Taylor said. “I was already locking my doors every time I left my car. Then there’s not really any way to park in a way that makes your car more appealing to break into beyond parking around more cars to make it harder, which I already do.”