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Page 7
Campus Review
May 14, 2012
Vehicle Safety Tips… from the
Clayton State Office of Public Safety
Board (FSB), the presidentially appointed
12-member board that is responsible for
establishing worldwide policies for the
Fulbright Program and for selection of
Fulbright recipients. Hollowell’s grant is
made possible through funds that are
appropriated annually by the U.S.
Congress and, in many cases, by contribu-
tions from partner countries and/or the
private sector.
“The U.S. Department of State describes
the Fulbright program as, `…the flagship
international educational exchange pro-
gram sponsored by the United States
Government,’” says Clayton State
President Dr. Thomas J. Hynes. “Professor
Hollowell’s award recognizes her contribu-
tions as teacher and scholar, and brings
praise for her and Clayton State University.
We are honored that she is our colleague.”
How do thieves do it? Burglarize vehicles,
that is.
Many car thieves and burglars are drug
addicts and/or belong to crime rings or
gangs, many times working in pairs to
scope out a parking garage or lot for an
easy target. Still others are professional
criminals and are very, very good at what
they do. Frequently, one criminal will
drive around a garage or parking lot; the
other will walk looking for vehicles that
have valuables out in the open. Most use
cell phones and radios to communicate
with each other to alert the other of police
or a passerby.
Just like any crime, auto burglaries are a
crime of opportunity. Thieves will target
vehicles that are parked in dark places,
away from cameras or pedestrian activity.
They will peer into a vehicle and look for
items left out in the open, such as portable
navigation systems, cell phones, IPODs,
wallets, purses and back packs. Two out
of three cars usually have something of
value left out in the open.
Items most commonly stolen from vehi-
cles include; backpacks, gym bags, brief-
cases, day-planners, cash, coins, check-
books and credit/debit cards, wallets and
purses (out in the open or “hidden” in
glove compartment or under a seat with
an increasing number occurring when
people are pumping gas), cell phones (and
chargers), portable navigation systems.
What to do… leave nothing in “plain
sight” that might make your vehicle worth
“investigating” by a thief; not even loose
coins or a CD.
Try to park in busy, well-traveled areas
and well-lighted areas. Large anonymous
lots are hit by thieves much more often
than parking lots that are immediately
adjacent to residential housing or other
occupied buildings. Auto burglars prefer
breaking into cars where they will not be
observed or attract notice, and choose
their targets accordingly.
In addition, one reason SUVs and pickups
are common auto-burglary targets is
because they don’t have a trunk to hold
valuables. The thieves know this, and do
check glove compartments, behind seats,
and under seats. It only takes a few sec-
onds to check all the usual hiding places.
Also, if your trunk can be opened from
inside your car without a key, lock this
feature when you are not in your car or
have it disabled.
What else can you do?
Prevention is the key!
Don’t leave valuables in your car – this is
what the criminal is looking for! If you
leave valuable items visible in your car,
your car is automatically a target. Thieves
are targeting purses, laptops, GPS units
and MP3 players, which are easily sold.
Additionally, computers, purses and wal-
lets are highly desired
targets that are stolen to commit identity
theft.
If you must leave valuable items in your
car while out and about, place items out of
sight before reaching your destination or
move them inconspicuously. Someone
may be watching when you put items
under a seat or in your trunk.
In his recommendation for Hollowell's
Fulbright, Dr. Nasser Momayezi, dean of
the College of Arts & Sciences at Clayton
State, had this to say about her profession-
al efforts:
"Her work is excellent and stands neck-to-
neck with her peers. She has taught vari-
ous education courses with distinction and
provided excellent service and leadership for
the Department of Teacher Education, College
of Arts and Sciences, and Clayton State
University as a whole. She is a top-notch
teacher, researcher and superb colleague who
is admired by faculty, staff, and students. Dr.
Hollowell will no doubt be an excellent
ambassador of and wonderful addition to your
internationally recognized program."
Hollowell family
Hollowell, cont’d. from p. 1
Hollowell, cont’d., p. 13