With the high amount of traffic that Bakersfield College sees at the beginning of a new semester, thefts and other crimes are more apt to occur.
Due to this, BC Vice President of Student Services Mildred Lovato issued an e-mail cautioning staff and students alike to be on guard and careful.
When asked if there is a rise in thefts at BC, BC Public Safety Chief Sergeant Mark Graf said:
“Yeah, there is a rise. But it is nothing to be alarmed about because of the rise in student population. It is all proportionate to the student population. As the student population increases, with it brings a rise in associated issues including thefts, traffic collisions and personal disputes.”
Public safety urges students to be mindful where they keep personal property. Such items as laptops, book bags, phone, iPods and CDs should not be left in plain view for potential thieves to see.
“To a thief, the payoff has to out weigh the risk that he or she will be taking. It is a crime of opportunity,” Graf said. “If the opportunity does not present itself, then there is less likelihood that it will happen. We have had incidents with cars being stolen that had the keys in the ignition.”
Students can protect themselves from potential thefts by “not bringing anything to school that is not needed at school.”
If something is going to be needed after school, students should “secure it in the trunk of their vehicle.”
Anyone further interested in the crime rates at BC can refer to the BC website, where Public Safety posts an annual community report.