Holiday Away: Try To Make It Look Like Someone’s Home

By Carley Banks and Amber Berry

Haley Driskill, a nursing student from Austin, who lives in Tech Terrace, recalls coming home to a broken back door.

Missing were three televisions, a laptop, jewelry and a stove.

“I think since there are a lot of college students in the area, people who are less fortunate tend to prey on students thinking they have more money, and they can easily afford to replace the things they steal,” Driskill said.

College students are an easy target, with homes being especially likely to be burglarized over extended breaks, said Eric Warntjes, a petroleum engineering major from Keller, Texas.

Lubbock ranks the second most dangerous city in Texas based on FBI data, with 658 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2013. Property crimes make the bulk of the reported incidents.

For some Texas Tech students, these statistics have already become a reality.

Allison Terry/The Hub@TTU

Allison Terry/The Hub@TTU

Lara Hall, a human development and family studies major from Dallas, said a car burglar took a golf club to her Jeep Wrangler window and stole a backpack containing her textbooks and iPad. The car had been parked in her driveway.

“Every day I am kind of paranoid that it will happen again because I still don’t know who did it, and there was no report of finding my backpack or any of my items,” Hall said.

Victoria “Tori” Heebner, a human development and family studies major from Wichita Falls, Texas, also had her car broken into.

The burglar stole Heebner’s Ray-Ban sunglasses and her regular glasses, a tent, an air mattress, a Garmin device, $150 in cash, a phone charger and an auxiliary cord.

“I like to think that the person who broke into my car needed everything they took more than me, and I should be thankful I did not get hurt,” Heebner said.

Lubbock saw 2,608 burglaries in 2013, according to the FBI. In that category, Lubbock’s rate of 975.5 burglaries per 100,000 residents was actually higher than in Odessa, ranked the most dangerous city in Texas, where burglaries occurred at a rate of 790.1 per 100,000 residents.

Tech Terrace

Photo from texastechtoday.com

Ashley Mattingly, one of Driskill’s roommates, said she is not worried about her house being broken into again because they installed a security system.

The nursing major from Garland, Texas, said it is common for college kids’ homes in the neighborhood to get broken into.

“I think the crime rate is just really high in Lubbock, and that’s probably why our house got robbed,” Mattingly said.

To prevent burglaries, a home security website recommends you should look at your house through the eyes of a potential burglar. Is your home secluded? Adequately lit? What’s the location?

Remember also that Lubbock’s student housing centers place the theft prevention responsibility on residents.

Anthony Ramirez, property manager of The Cottages of Lubbock, said the city’s crime rate wouldn’t be as high if residents were more careful.

“I think we could prevent a lot of these issues by just changing little things: being aware of where we are parking our vehicles and being sure to put away our belongings and lock doors,” Ramirez said.

Although the Cottages has received no reports of break-ins this year, Ramirez said residents are still encouraged to take steps to prevent being a target.

“We have clauses and policies that we encourage our residents to review for safety and precautions such as locking their doors and windows, as well as putting away valuables they may keep in their vehicles such as MP3 players, G.P.S. devices or anything of that nature,” he said.

University Fountains has seen a few car break-ins this semester. Its management sent an email to residents to encourage caution.

“Lock your car at all times and do not leave packages or valuable items in plain sight,” the email advised.

Appearances may, in the end, be more important than bolts and locks.

Even though Warntjes has lived in Tech Terrace for three years, he said, he has not been the victim of a property crime. He believes it’s because the neighbors are older, and the house does not look like a rental.

Shawn Cannon, a Tech Terrace Real Estate broker, said college students can keep their homes safe during the holiday break by placing their mail on hold and leaving a car in the driveway.

“I would suggest installing an alarm,” Cannon said. “And keep a few lights on a timer set to go on and off during the night. Just try to make it look like someone is home.”

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