Megan Trotter | news editor

A campus visitor turned off of Forbes Avenue, grabbed a ticket and entered Duquesne University’s Forbes Garage around 9 a.m. on Jan. 31. He found an empty spot on the fifth floor, parked his car and exited his vehicle – leaving it unlocked.

When he returned, three hours later, he found that approximately $460 worth of personal items had been stolen out of his vehicle during his absence, according to Duquesne Public Safety documents.

This event is just one of several incidents over the last two months involving break-ins or theft from vehicles parked in Duquesne’s garages.

Since the beginning of the semester, Duquesne has seen a rapid increase in these types of crimes.

Between Jan. 26 and Feb. 12, there have been a total of six reported incidents of vehicles being entered while parked in either the Forbes or Locust Garage.

The targets of the recent theft have not been limited to just Duquesne students and faculty.

Three of the incidents took place in Locust Garage, which is designated for students who pay for a parking pass on campus, while the rest were break-ins of vehicles parked in the Forbes Garage, which is open to the public.

On Monday, Senior Vice President for Student Life Leanna Fenneberg and Chief of Police for Duquesne Public Safety Eric Holmes sent an email to students and faculty advising people to secure personal items and lock their vehicles.

While the investigation is still ongoing, Duquesne Public Safety has identified a few “persons of interest,” Holmes said in an email to The Duke.

As a result of the recent increase in vehicle break-ins, Holmes said that officers and security guards are now spending time patrolling the parking garages by vehicle and on foot.

“It’s important to note that theft from a vehicle is a crime of opportunity — a thief looks for the easiest target with the least resistance,” Holmes said.

Some more commonly stolen items include: backpacks, gym bags, briefcases, money, credit cards, checkbooks, electronics, jewelry, keys, GPS navigation systems, wallets or purses and mail, which can provide offenders with information regarding the vehicle owner’s identity.

Deanna Calderaro, the executive director for the Department of Auxiliary Services said the Parking Office is working closely with Public Safety to “ensure a safe and efficient parking experience for our students, employees and visitors.”

“We encourage everyone to follow parking regulations and utilize campus resources if they ever need assistance, and remind individuals who see any suspicious activity in the garages or on campus to call Public Safety at 412-396-2677,” Calderaro said to The Duke.