On Friday, Sept. 7, a vehicle parked in one of the student lots at Bucks was broken into.

The crime was reported at 12:43 p.m. that day. Apparently while the victim was in class someone broke into her car; the doors of the victim’s car were apparently locked but that did not stop the suspect.

Among the things stolen were her purse, which had her driver’s license and credit cards, another bag which had her iPod in it, and a textbook.

Dennis McCauley, the director of Security and Safety at Bucks, said the scene was inspected and that there was a police report filed. When asked what could be done to prevent incidents like this from occurring in the future, McCauley said, “The lots are patrolled regularly throughout the day.”

Unfortunately no one witnessed the car being broken into. If you see someone looking into a car that possibly does not belong to them, report it to the office of Safety and Security.

According to McCauley, “cars are reported to be broken into a handful of times during the year.”

There are usually four officers patrolling the lots throughout the day, and Newtown police also patrol the lots daily.

Students should make it a habit to travel as light as possible. If you must bring certain valuables like portable GPS devices and iPods and these items are small enough to carry without too much trouble, then bring them with you and do not leave them in your vehicle.

If you must leave any valuables in your vehicle, keep them out of sight. If your vehicle has a trunk, this is one of the best places to stash valuables. If you have a truck, van, or some other vehicle that does not have a trunk, hide items under the seats or find some other way to keep them out of sight.

This is one of the worst possible ways for a student to end a long day of classes, and it is definitely preventable.

Anyone who sees anything suspicious is urged to call the office of Security and Safety, located in Cottage 4, at 215-968-8395.