If we pay for parking, UNM must protect cars

Editor’s note: This letter is in response to the crime briefs published in Wednesday’s Daily Lobo.

Editor,

After reading the Daily Lobo on Wednesday, I learned that four students had their vehicles broken into, making for a total of about $4,500 in stolen property and damage. Before spring break, I personally had all four of my tires slashed while parked in front of Hokona Hall, which is fewer than 100 yards from the UNMPD station. I wrote a letter then to the Daily Lobo and others on campus who conveyed my dismay with UNMPD’s reaction. When I told a UNMPD officer that my tires had been slashed, this is what he said: “Well, we don’t get a lot of slashed tires around here.” He didn’t even walk outside to look at the damage. Well, guess what? You got four slashed tires in front of your office, and now you got four cars broken into around campus.

I understand it is much easier for them to say, “Well, that’s too bad,” as opposed to being proactive and increasing their vigilance. True, crime can’t be prevented. It can be solved. But we can deter crime. The newly hired people who walk around campus in pairs with jackets that say “Security,” smoking cigarettes in nonsmoking areas, are more concerned with a paycheck than security.

Anyhow, I regain focus. The University charges upward of $300 for students to get parking permits. And in the UNMPD crime statistic reports, car vandalism is conveniently not listed as a statistic.

Point is, why should students have to pay money to have their things robbed, damaged and broken? And why does the University charge money to park in an area that is less safe than Central Avenue? While I do recommend that students put valuable electronics in their trunks or not leave them in plain sight, that is beyond the point. Other peoples’ jealousy, envy and criminal depravity should not discourage the UNM community from owning nice things. UNM is charging money for people to park on campus. That money should be piece of mind, safety and security. But it has become obvious it doesn’t. Therefore I propose the following:

Either the University stops charging students for parking, or the University reimburses victims of vandalism for 50 percent of the damages.

In fact, I really like the second option, because it might encourage the security staff to actually be vigilant. When you incentivize things, they can work.

And, finally, while these incidents are rather unfortunate, I am in one respect glad they happened. Happy because it raises awareness, and it gives me the right to say, “I told you so.” I told you UNMPD is negligent. I told you the Residence Life Safety and Security patrol are too busy texting on their phones to see crimes unfolding before their eyes. And even though I told you so, I hope you let me tell other students through this letter this time.

Hani Barghout
UNM student