Spike in cases could be tied to poor economy

Car break-ins in Corvallis surged to 81 cases in January, more than triple the monthly average for the previous year, according to data from the Corvallis Police Department. And there hasn't been a downturn in February, said Lt. Dave Henslee, a Corvallis police spokesman.

Henslee attributed the spike to the poor economy. "You will generally find crime trends increase with economic hardships," he said.

He added that car prowls ebb and flow depending on which suspects might be on the street. An arrest might halt a stretch of heavy activity.

Corvallis police officers and detectives are investigating the break-ins, and a crime analyst is trying to identify trends. But Henslee said the public also could help curb car break-ins by protecting themselves.

Car break-ins generally are a crime of opportunity - a culprit usually sees an item inside a vehicle and decides to steal it.

Besides locking their vehicle's doors, Henslee said, people should not leave valuables in the car. That includes laptop computers and purses - which are frequent targets - and also garage door openers, which can lead to residential burglaries if stolen.

Car alarms, parking vehicles in well-lighted areas and parking vehicles near residences also can help curb car break-ins. Residents should keep a watchful eye on their neighborhood and report suspicious activity.

"If someone does break into the car, report it," Henslee said. The information can be useful in charging a suspect, or in helping identify patterns.

Car break-ins also spiked in January at Oregon State University, where 21 "car clouts" were reported. That's up from only one in January of the previous year, and a total of 10 from September through December.

This Jan. 28 proved to be a particularly active day for vehicle burglars. Nine car break-ins were reported that morning alone. That night, Oregon State Police arrested two Linn-Benton Community College students for two additional break-ins.

Lt. Jeff Lanz, state police station commander at OSU, said the problem has disappeared since the arrests. An unmarked patrol vehicle also is patrolling campus lots, and that might have helped.

Kyle Odegard can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.