Radio, tires stolen from students’ cars

Martha Grave

Lawrence security was notified that items had been stolen from students’ cars parked in the East John Street lot Sunday, Sept. 13. The police were notified shortly after. Stolen items included tires and rims from one student’s car, and the radio from another student’s car.
Senior Dave Broker owns the car with the stolen tires. “I kind of figured that things like this sometimes happen,” Broker said, “but you never expect that it would happen to you.”
Broker said that he got a call from the Appleton Police Monday afternoon. “They said that my tires and rims had been stolen. I went down there, and they were just gone. There were also scratches on the side of the car, and a piece of a fire hydrant was under the car. I suppose [the thief] used it to prop the car up.”
The parking lot, located off campus but used by many Lawrentians, is privately owned, but remains unused by the company that owns it.
Because it is not subject to Appleton’s parking laws, many students use the lot as a convenient place to park. Because it is privately owned, however, the lot is also not monitored by Lawrence security or the police.
“Because it’s privately owned, it’s not patrolled like campus lots are, and there aren’t as many people coming and going from the lot,” said Dean of Students Nancy Truesdell.
Broker said that while he intends to keep his car in Appleton, he probably won’t continue to use the East John Street lot.
Truesdell also advises students against parking in the lot. “It’s not actually a parking lot,” she explained. “It’s a piece of privately owned property that has not been developed yet. Students are parking their cars in the lot at their own risk. It’s just not as safe as campus parking lots.”
Truesdell also noted that this incident is an isolated one. “This issue is a random problem; we don’t often see thefts like this near campus. The Appleton Police do, however, encourage students to lock their cars and keep their valuables out of sight.”
The Appleton Police don’t have any leads on the case at this time, but they are using monitored decoy cars in the area to lure in the thief.
“I didn’t have my car here for two years, and it’s just easier to get around with it here,” Broker said. “I guess I’ll just be more careful about where I park it.