CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE : Auto Burglaries and Thefts Climb

An unusually high number of burglaries and thefts from vehicles parked on or near the Cal State Northridge campus has been reported in recent months, campus police said.

Approximately 75 burglaries and thefts from vehicles have been reported to campus police since January, Lt. Mark Hissong said.

The only common factors in the crimes seem to be the random selection of automobiles, with entrance gained through a window, and the cutting of stereo wires, Hissong said.

The window a burglar will break to gain access to a vehicle often depends on the make and model of the vehicle, Hissong said. In some cars, he said, it may be easier for the thief to break a wing window and, in others, the passenger window may provide the easiest access.

Although most of the recent vehicle burglaries and thefts have occurred in one parking lot, Lot C, they have been reported throughout the campus, Hissong said.

Statistics for the same period in 1990 were unavailable Friday.

The number of vehicles stolen from the campus also is on the rise. Thirty vehicle thefts were reported to campus police during the first three months of this year, three times more than for the same period in both 1989 and 1990, Hissong said.