The Everett Community College campus has been victimized by thefts in multiple forms. People negatively affected by this dreary economy might be more apt to steal and take advantage of students, but it could all be preventable.
Just ask Marc Tolle, the campus security lieutenant. Tolle has seen and solved a mass of these common campus crimes.

“Laptops, backpacks, expensive calculators are all too common,” Tolle said. “iPods are also common.”

EvCC student Kaylee Baker explained how it felt to have her car stolen.  “I felt sick and betrayed,” Baker said about her mid-90s Honda. “I had parked [my car] Lenny by the Mexican restaurant. It had only been an hour and a half time period.”

“They found it the same day. It wasn’t too trashed, but they ended up taking my iPod and stereo faceplate,” said Baker.

Tolle said: “We’ve actually seen a decrease in car theft, but it’s not a rare thing for North Everett.”

Early 90’s Hondas, Saturns and Toyotas have been targeted because of the locking mechanisms that hardly present a challenge for anyone with a slightly shaved key.

“The wear and age will let a worn-out key do the trick, so we’ve sent out warnings to owners,” Tolle explained. “They’d usually find the cars across town.”

A city-backed task force was organized in the 1990s when an average of fifteen cars a year were being stolen from the campus parking lots. According to the U.S. Department of Education’s campus safety and security data analysis, there were six on-campus vehicle thefts in 2010, five in 2009 and eight thefts in 2008.

The Everett police’s specialized task force set up bait cars and other preventive techniques that brought the number of cars down to around five to six per year.
“These incidents are crimes of opportunity,” Tolle said. “Keep your valuables safe and be aware of your personal property.”

Signs have been posted around campus that read: “Please do not leave valuables in your vehicle! There have been thefts on campus. If they can see it they will take it!”

“You don’t really feel too safe,” Yeji Pak, vice president of Public Relations, said.
Back in the 90s “a whole shipment of computers disappeared,” Tolle recounted, laughing in disbelief. “They must all be worthless now.”