Several vehicle thefts and break-ins reported on campus in the last week

A series of vehicle break-ins and thefts on campus have prompted UCCS Police to urge students to take steps to protect their vehicles. 

On Oct. 22, University Police Operations sent an email to all students notifying them of the vehicle-related crimes that occurred between Oct. 16 and Oct. 21. Of the crimes, several cars were broken into, one vehicle was reported stolen and another stolen vehicle — one that had not yet been reported — was recovered. 

According to Chief of Police Diana Cooley, the only crimes right now that the police have a suspect for are the vehicle thefts that occurred on Oct. 21. The suspect for the vehicle thefts is a white male in his 20s or 30s. The man was wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans and was seen near Alpine Garage where the vehicle theft occurred, according to the email. 

Cooley said it is not known as of Oct. 24 whether the break-ins are tied to the vehicle thefts or whether the suspect(s) are students, and if the crimes are isolated incidents or part of a larger pattern.  

“If next week, next weekend or that weekend after we get any other incidents, then we’ll know if that’s more of a consistent pattern versus if it’s a one-time pattern,” she said. 

To prevent vehicle-related crimes, Cooley recommends not leaving valuables in plain view or removing them from the vehicle entirely and parking in well-lit, high foot-traffic areas to limit the likelihood of vehicle related crimes. 

A timeline of the break-ins, according to UCCS police 

  • Oct. 16-18: A car was broken into in Alpine Garage and personal belongings were stolen. 
  • Oct. 20: Another car was broken into in Lot 576 across from the ENT Center and personal belongings were stolen. 
  • Oct. 21: Several crimes occurred in Alpine Garage in about a 45-minute period around 5 a.m. The unreported stolen vehicle was recovered, a student’s vehicle was reported stolen and multiple cars were broken into. All vehicles that were broken into belonged to students, and the owner of the recovered stolen vehicle was not a student. 

Access was gained to the vehicles by breaking a window in each break-in, said Deputy Chief of Police Clay Garner. 

Cooley asks anyone who sees someone engaging in suspicious behavior to report it to the police as it can help develop probable cause for an arrest. “You see somebody just out of place, lurking through cars, moving through one car to another, looking in windows and kind of stop the behavior when they see somebody noticing them … if you’re able to notice those things, call it into dispatch,” Cooley said. 

When reporting, Cooley asks that students provide as much information as possible when reporting suspicious behavior including location, a description of the subject and what the subject is doing to raise suspicions. 

“Definitely report it, even if it’s, let’s say for example, an unlocked vehicle and you notice that somebody might have rummaged through it, but nothing valuable [was taken], don’t discredit that. Make sure we’re reporting those instances as well because that lets us know what we need to focus on,” Cooley said. 

Anyone who has experienced a vehicle theft or break in or who would like to report suspicious behavior can contact dispatch by calling (719) 255-3111 or by reporting the incident on the UCCS Safe App. You can also use the university’s website to submit a report anonymously. 

Alpine Garage. Photo via The Scribe Archives.