Auto theft, vehicles being broken into and reports of individuals carrying knives have recently occurred on campus.

Charles Gonzalez, a former student at Palo Alto College, had his truck broken into in the school parking lot, and his books, CDs and speakers were stolen.

“I felt violated, sad and unsafe about the incident,” he said. “You can’t visit Palo Alto College, because you will be thinking about if someone is going to break in your vehicle.”

Corporal Ruben Tello at PAC said, “Student and staff members shouldn’t leave personal items, like purses, folders and books, in the front or back seat of their vehicle, because that gives the burglar more of a reason to break in.”

Terrie Hoffmann, Chief of Police of the Alamo Community College District, said that recovery is very difficult. Hoffmann advises students and staff to mark and label items with names and phone numbers.

“If an item does get stolen, then you have a better chance of it being returned to you,” Hoffmann said.

The ACCD Safety Department recommends the following tips to prevent theft: lock all doors; avoid leaving valuables in vehicles; and record serial numbers of radios, stereos and other equipment.

When parking your vehicle, consider if it will it be dark when you return. Have your keys ready when you return, and check the back seat before getting into your vehicle.

Hoffman is working on trying to provide more officer assistants so there can be officers patrolling inside the campus buildings as well as around the parking lots.

Hoffmann said that people think that the officers are just there on campus to give out citations and tickets, but that’s not the case. “My goal is to make sure that the staff and students are safe,” said Hoffmann.

DPS enters its reports on the daily blotter, where it can be found on the ACCD web site on a daily basis. If you have questions or would like to know more information about ACCD Police Safety, go to http://www.accd.edu/district/dps/index.htm. For an emergency, call (210) 222-0911.