Six incidents in 13 days

University and city police are investigating recent vehicle thefts on and off campus.

“Between our agency and the city police department, we have experienced five vehicle thefts and one attempt at theft,” said Christopher Jenkins, lieutenant of investigations for the Kent State Police Department.

Jenkins said all of the thefts and attempts have occurred between Nov. 1 and yesterday.

Three of the incidents have been on campus, and three have been off campus. The on-campus thefts occurred in the C-Science, Ice Arena and R-5 parking lots.

Jenkins said the thefts have been primarily during business hours and have targeted Honda Civics between 1998 and 2000.

“These are the type of Honda Civics that people see in the movie `The Fast and the Furious,'” he said. “They seem to be the well-dressed version.”

“Since they are the same model and around the same year of car, it’s highly likely that it’s the same person or group of people responsible.”

Jenkins said he recommends students with this type of car on campus remove anything of value from sight, check the vehicle daily if it’s parked on campus for several days at a time, lock the car doors at all times and keep any alarms set.

If anyone sees suspicious activity in the parking lots, don’t approach the suspects, Jenkins said.

“Call us and let us investigate it,” Jenkins said. “We have no reason to believe the suspects are dangerous, but we don’t know otherwise, either.”

Contact safety reporter Suzi Starheim at [email protected].