Bailee: Gwenna Gentle arrived in Syracuse last July, anxious to start classes as a graduate student. Her excitement was short lived after someone broke into her car.
Gwenna: I went back to my apartment to where my car was parked, and my whole driver side window was just broken into.
Bailee: The thieves left shards of glass all over her seat and her belongings strung about. While car break-ins can happen anywhere, it seems that they are becoming more prevalent in Syracuse University and LeMoyne College Communities. According to the Syracuse Police Department, burglaries were up by 122% in parts of the city where college campuses are located in 2022 from 2021. Last September, New York state governor Kathy Hochul announced the state is devoting $55 million towards preventing these types of break-ins. $50 million will go towards new technology for law enforcement, and $5 million each will go to the counties that are most impacted. Nationwide Insurance suggests that the best ways to prevent vehicle break-ins are making sure valuables are out of sight, rolling up your windows, locking your car doors and parking your car in a well lit, highly visible area. When asked for a statement the Syracuse Police Department said: “The Syracuse Police Department is actively addressing these incidents through increased patrols, enhanced surveillance, and community outreach efforts. We encourage prompt reporting of any incidents to aid in our investigations and prevention efforts.” Gentle says she feels lucky that none of her valuable objects were stolen.
Gwenna: In my head, I just laughed at myself saying, ‘This is the one time you don’t keep anything in your car,’ and it’s the time they break into it.
Bailee: For N-C-C News, I’m Bailee Marie Tucker.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Gwenna Gentle arrived in Syracuse in July, ready to start classes as a graduate student. That excitement was cut short after her car was broken into.
“I went back to my apartment to where my car was parked, and my whole driver side window was just broken into,” Gentle said.
The thieves broke her driver-side window and left her belongings strung all over the vehicle.
According to the Syracuse Police Department, burglaries were up by 122% in 2022 from 2021 in parts of the city where college campuses are located.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced last September that the state is devoting $55 million towards preventing these types of break-ins.
Fifty million dollars will go towards new technology for police departments while $5 million each will go towards Monroe, Niagara and Erie counties; the counties most impacted by these types of crimes.
Gentle says she feels lucky that none of her valuables were in her car that day.
“In my head, I just laughed at myself saying, ‘This is the one time you don’t keep anything in your car,’ and it’s the time they break into it,” Gentle said.
If you experience a car break in, the Syracuse Police Department encourages victims to call and file a police report.
