Sacramento State has encountered three incidents of parking permit theft since the 2011 academic year began.

Scott Christian, Sac State police spokesman, said vehicle type and parking placement play a role in the prevention of theft.

“In most cases, when a permit theft is reported, it can be attributed to vehicle type such as Jeeps or convertibles,” Christian said.

Although theft from vehicles can occur almost anywhere, Christian said students and faculty should be mindful when it comes to choosing where to park their vehicle.

“Location is important, in some respects, such as not parking next to large vehicles, trees, bushes or other obstructions, because they can be used by a thief as shelter or a place to hide while breaking into your vehicle,” Christian said.

Taking precautions such as locking doors and keeping valuables hidden may seem redundant, however, it still plays an important role in the protection of vehicles and possessions.

“Leaving your doors unlocked or windows cracked makes it easier for a thief to get in … It only takes an experienced thief a matter of seconds to break a window and grab the items in plain view,” Christian said.

As stated in the University Police media log, the parking permit thefts were reported in October and December of last year in addition to one in February.

“In some cases where arrests have been made for possession of a stolen permit, the suspect was a student who was actively using the permit for parking purposes. In others, the individual was not a student – they were simply in possession of the stolen permit,” Christian said.

Christian said compared to other types of campus theft, parking permit theft is relatively infrequent.

“Typically, less than one permit per month is reported stolen,” Christian said.

Alex Slavas can be reached at [email protected].