A recent rash of vehicle break-ins led the UNC Police Department to issue an alert to the community on Wednesday, warning people to take precautions if parking around campus.

An Alert Carolina shared Wednesday afternoon said police are investigating reports of eight break-ins since Tuesday, with the locations including the Craige Parking Deck, Fraternity Court off Columbia Street and the Baity Hill graduate student housing community near Fordham Boulevard. The Alert Carolina message did not clarify whether these incidents are believed to be connected.

According to incident reports filed with the campus police department, many of the cars parked at Baity Hill and Craige Parking Deck were broken into by smashing the front windows. Few personal items were reported as stolen in the reports, although the victims indicated concern over parts of their cars being taken by whoever broke in.

UNC Police shared a variety of safety tips for people to keep in mind if parking around the Carolina community, including to always lock a vehicle and have the windows rolled up when leaving it parked. Police encourage people to not leave any valuable items visible in the car and to take them with you if you exit the area. Other suggestions include setting a car alarm to “active” if a vehicle has an alarm system and trying to park in public, well-lit locations so it can be seen by others.

As of Wednesday afternoon, no further information about the break-ins is publicly available. But investigators do encourage anyone who sees suspicious individuals or activity to call UNC or local police. Additionally, anyone with more details about the vehicle break-ins is encouraged to call 911 or the UNC Police Department at 919-962-8100. In-person reports can be made at the Public Safety Building located at 285 Manning Drive and anonymous tips can be left through the Chapel Hill-Carrboro-UNC CrimeStoppers hotline (919-942-7515) or corresponding website.

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