Numerous break-ins in local area causes concerns with UT students about safety

The Bancroft Hills neighborhood has seen an increase in theft recently with 13 burglaries since Nov. 16, according to the Toledo Police Department.
The majority of the robberies have taken place in the early afternoon and many students have been affected, according to TPD.
Ryan Singer, a third-year majoring in mechanical engineering, said that his car was broken into Dec. 1 around noon.
“I must have left one of my car doors unlocked because my backpack and GPS were stolen out of my car,” Singer said, “I noticed they were gone when I had left for work.”
The robbers made off with Singer’s $50 backpack containing all of his class notes in it, $250 worth of textbooks, a $100 graphing calculator, a $75 GPS and various school supplies.
“Living in Toledo I’ve always had the attitude of ‘it’s only going to be a matter of time,’ so I’m not too devastated,” Singer said. “It is sad though that so many of these burglaries are happening this time of year because it only adds to the stress that the end of the semester already brings to students.”
Gabe Augsburger, a third-year student majoring in information technology, was in his home when it was broken into around 1 p.m. during Thanksgiving break.
“I was on the second floor and I heard some noise so I looked out the window and I saw a guy walking around the house with a crowbar and as soon as I saw that I called the police,” Augsburger said, “He used the crowbar and broke through the window in the bathroom on the first floor. I was just nervous and just hoping that he wouldn’t come upstairs.”
The robbers had broken into Augsburger’s roommate’s room and were in the process of taking his TV when the police officers showed up, according to Austin Markward, a third-year accounting student and Augsburger’s neighbor.
“The TV was connected to the wall and they had it unplugged and everything and they were going to rip it out of the wall,” Markward said. “That is when the cops showed up. One of them got away, but the other one was caught.”
According to Markward he has started to take precautions so that he can make sure that he is not the victim of future robberies.
“With everything that has been going on, everyone in our house, we take everything home like the TVs, Xboxes and everything else of value,” Markward said. “We used to sometimes forget to lock our door at night, but now we make sure that it is locked at night.”
Katelyn Schneeg, a third-year student majoring in pharmacy, was alarmed with the recent break-ins in her neighborhood.
“The robberies have all happened just a block or so away from my house,” Schneeg said. “The break-ins have worried me.”
Schneeg also said she now pays more attention to where she leaves her valuables when she’s not at home.
“I am a lot more cautious about locking the house and setting the security alarm every time I leave,” Schneeg said. “I carry my laptop with me everywhere I go for extra precaution. In addition, during breaks or when I leave for the weekend, I take everything of value back with me.”
With the holiday season coming up, University of Toledo Police Department has provided tips for students so that they can protect themselves from burglaries over break.
“If students are going to be leaving they can draw their curtains and close blinds and take their valuables with them, particularly electronic devices because those items are the most highly valued and targeted,” said Chief of Police Jeff Newton, “We also suggest that you make sure you stop your mail, make sure all doors and windows are secure and leave a light on or have a timer where lights activate.”
UTPD also advises students not to advertise vacation plans over social media sites and when they do return back, to not advertise new merchandise by putting boxes from things like flat screen TV boxes on the curbside.