The Sacramento State parking lot has become an Easter egg hunt of sorts for aspiring car thieves.

Recent car thefts in the south lots have resulted in detainment of one of four alleged suspects by campus police. Despite the arrest, car safety remains a prominent issue.

“The Central Valley is the poster-child of stolen vehicles for reasons of obtaining racing parts,” said Kin Hazelbaker, Senior Vice President of the Highway Loss Data Institute.

Based in Arlington, VA, the Highway Loss Data Institute is a private, non-profit agency supported by auto insurers. HLDI tracks the totals of stolen vehicles in all sectors of the US and Hazelbaker regards Honda Civics as “a big problem on a national basis.”

Hazelbaker said The Central Valley is a unique case because cities along the Mexican border and port cities tend to be the hot spots for car thefts.

The four vehicles stolen from Sac State two weeks ago were Civics, a popular vehicle among the student body. In addition, the parts from Civics are interchangeable with Acura Integra parts, posing an added threat for Civic and Integra owners.

Campus police Public Information Officer John Hamrick said the premiere locations for car theft are lots two, ten, and Parking Structure II.

Hamrick suggests that the campus community use “the Club”, car alarms, and park in high-traffic areas in order to avoid becoming victims of theft.

Hazelbaker disagreed, saying that car alarm systems and steering wheel lock devices such as “The Club” do not always deter the thief.

“In some cases, the steering wheel lock devices are left in place of the vehicle, mocking the attempt of deterrence,” Hazelbaker said.

According to HLDI statistics, the Acura Integra has the highest theft lawsuit of any vehicle. Since Honda produces both vehicles, the number of potential targets for thieves increases.

“The LoJack automobile tracking service has a very high rate of retrieval,” said Rich Detwiler, a representative of Eastwood Insurance.

Detwiler said car owners that have a LoJack system also are eligible for discounted insurance premiums.LoJack systems require a monthly payment in addition to insurance premiums, making it less economical for college students.

“With rent, groceries, and gas, you’ll end up getting jacked with LoJack,” said Business major Pete Gaston.

Gaston owns a Civic and said he tries to park in open view and near lights in hope that his car will be less enticing.

“It’s open game at Sac State with 10,000 cars to watch over,” Gaston said.

Hazelbaker said the LoJack system is decent, but the best deterrent is to use immobilizers. Immobilizers are installed by car manufacturers and will disable the spark plugs and accelerator if the car computer detects a break-in.

In more extreme cases, Hazelbaker said it is becoming more common for thieves to use flatbed trucks, relieving the thieves of precious time wasted entering and starting the vehicle.

“With vehicles stolen form the Central Valley turning up internationally, it comes as no surprise for the change in tactics,” said Hazelbaker.

The change of tactic spawns another epidemic for retrieval systems. Without the vehicle turned on, the computer cannot detect a theft if there is no entering and attempt to start the vehicle.

With students and faculty constantly walking in and out of the parking lots, a sense of heightened awareness may heed way to a decrease in the number of stolen vehicles from campus.

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