 Auto Thefts Plague Stockton and the Central Valley For some criminals, it takes a couple minutes. For some of the more skillful, one minute is all it takes. Some have even been able to log in around 30 seconds.
That time is all it takes for a crook to obtain a new possession: a well-working vehicle.
Stockton, including University of the Pacific, ranked second in the country for auto thefts in 2004. Nearby Modesto has the unfortunate distinction of being first. Sacramento is fifth.
The valley’s problem with car thefts has much to do with the prevalence of methamphetamine, according to Michael Belcher, the director of Public Safety. Thieves pawn the items they steal out of cars to purchase drugs.
Out of the 4,000 car thefts in Stockton last year, 585 of them had their keys in the ignition. Fifty-three auto burglaries occurred on Pacific’s campus last year. 
“These are crimes of opportunity,” said Belcher. Criminals don’t think ahead about burglarizing; they spot an opportunity on campus and take advantage of it.
“We average 20 arrests a month,” Belcher said. “Ninety-five percent of the suspects are not associated with the university.” The latest incident happened at the Townhouse Apartments September 14. Two students reported that their vehicleshad been entered. The suspects broke the side windows. One person was missing books and identification. The other had stereo equipment taken. The thieves presumably climbed over the back fence by the levee or followed a resident driving in when the gate was open. A Public Safety flier went out warning residents of the potential danger.
“There’s a sense of security, a sense of safety,” said Belcher about the exposed valuables people leave in their cars. The Department of Public Safety recommends that drivers put their valuables in the trunk, remove stereo faceplates, and park in well-lit areas when leaving the car.
To record the incidents as they occur, Public Safety is required to publish their statistics on the internet. The publications resulted from the Jeanne Clery Act passed by Congress in 1990. Originally dubbed the “Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990,” the law’s purpose is to inform students, faculty, and parents of recent crimes on school campuses. The law’s namesake, Jeanne Clery, was a freshman at Lehigh University when she was raped and murdered in her sleep.
Motor Vehicle Thefts | SCHOOL | 2002 | 2003
| 2004
| Population
| University of the Pacific
| 9 | 17 | 12 | 3,457 | Delta College
| 25 | 30 | 2 | 18,525 | CSU Stanislaus
| 6 | 5 | 8 | 6,483 | CSU Sacramento
| 34 | 40 | 44 | 23,028 | | Stanford | 55 | 35 | 39 | 6,576 |
The Department of Public Safety is dedicated to making Pacific “the toughest place to commit a crime,” said Belcher. “These guys are so stupid that they’ll do it again and again until they get caught.”
Public Safety was granted police officer powers in 1983 making Pacific one of only two private universities in California with a full police force. Stanford University also has such a program.
Students on campus are urged to be alert and aware of their surroundings. Officer Belcher encourages people to contact Public Safety as soon as they know they’ve been robbed. Students can reach Public Safety at 946-2537.
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