I have noticed that there is little to no security in the parking lots atnight. (mainly the one by the strawberry field, I think it’s c).
Tuesday night, January 22,2002, 6 cars were broken into between 6:50 & 7:10pm.
My car was among those that were broken into. Windows were shatteredeverywhere.
I arrived at 6:55pm and parked in row R of that parking lot.
I noticed 2 suspicious characters looking at my car, but I was running late for class.
It turned out that my class was canceled anyway.
I hurried back to my car, and arrived there at 7:06pm.
My driver side window was shattered and my stereo was gone.
I looked everywhere but could not find a campus police officer.
I called the police and was told that they do not handle campus issues, and that I should contact campus police.
As I was speaking to them I saw a cruiser go by.
I ran over there, and found them with someone else whose car had been hit.
As we were standing there they found the other cars (all within the same 6 or 7 rows. Campus Police were helpful, once I found them!
But being that the campus police station is in that parking lot and had
there been someone patrolling, they would have caught the culprits.
I think that this is a big problem. I rarely see anyone patrolling, especially at night in the big parking lots. Yet they always seem to be patrolling thecrowded smaller lots, looking for people either speeding or parkedillegally.
I feel that the bigger lots should be secured better especially at night.
After this incident I don’t feel safe at Cerritos at all!
It just happens that my car is very recognizable because I have a decal on the front windshield, I have not been to class since the incident, one because of the damage, and two because I am afraid that this will happen again once my car is fixed.
How do I know these guys won’t come back?
How could something like this have happened right next to the campus police station?
I will not park in that parking lot again if I can help it.
I don’t like parking there because it’s always so deserted.
The fact that these guys were walking around staking out cars bothers me.
Someone, besides me, should have noticed them.
I kick myself now because I should never have left my car.
I had a feeling that’s what they were up to.
I am, as far as I know, the only one that saw them. I hope that (though
unlikely) they are caught.
I also hope that Cerritos college takes a closer look at this incident and does something to improve our safety, 6 cars!!!!
that’s a whole lot of damage, not to mention quite a bit of time, and nobody saw them but me.
I’m just thankful that they didn’t take my car, but now I
have $1000+ dollars worth of damage that might possibly have been avoided by better security.
I think this incident should be brought to everyone’s attention in an attempt to have better security.
Feel free to contact me via e-mail or phone.
