According to Trinity University Police Department (TUPD) Assistant Vice President of Public Safety Paul Chapa, taking precautions to protect your on-campus vehicles is vital to protecting them from theft. On Sept. 3, somebody stole a Hyundai from the City Vista apartment complex, marking the first vehicle theft of the school year. The car has since been recovered, according to TUPD, but security is still a concern not just for students who own cars, but those who have bicycles and scooters as well.
Seven Aguirre,* senior computer science major, was a victim of bike theft in Fall 2024 when he was a resident assistant in James H. Calvert Hall. The bike was stolen from a bike rack outside of Calvert, and the only trace left behind was the lock, which had been cut in half and left on the ground. Aguirre said that his lock was relatively weak.
Additionally, Aguirre said he did not register his bike with TUPD and therefore did not report the theft to them. His bike was never recovered. Since this theft, Aguirre has bought a new bike that he plans to register, and he plans to buy a better lock.
Tess Gagliano*, sophomore neuroscience major, is also a victim of theft. An unknown person stole her bike at the beginning of the spring semester of last year. Gagliano also had not registered her bike, so TUPD was limited in what they could do to help her. She eventually found the stolen bike at a local pawn shop and was able to get it back. At the time of the theft, Gagliano used a cable lock; now, she uses a U-Lock.
“A lot of people don’t know. I didn’t know that the cable locks were less secure. I thought it was locked away, I didn’t realize people could just grind through them,” Gagliano said.
Gagliano advised other victims of theft not to be afraid to take their case into their own hands.
“TUPD has a lot to deal with on a regular basis, so sometimes you can use your investigative skills,” Gagliano said.
According to Chapa, there are many ways to keep your vehicle as safe as possible throughout the year. Chapa said that the best locks to buy for a bike or a scooter are U-Locks, which are made of hardened steel. Additionally, Chapa advised students to park their bikes or scooters at the bike racks rather than inside buildings and to register these vehicles with TUPD.
“We have recovered bikes in the past that have been stolen because we had the serial number. If we don’t have that serial number, we can’t help you. That applies to scooters as well,” Chapa said.
When it comes to cars, Chapa recommends locking your car, parking in well-lit areas and not leaving your valuables inside.
Time of year can also affect the risk of theft. In San Antonio, different crimes experience upticks at various times, such as a rise in thefts in November and December and increases in gang violence during the summer, according to Chapa. Crime in San Antonio is capable of penetrating the “Trinity bubble,” demonstrated by the boost in on-campus vehicle thefts in 2023, which Chapa said was due to local gang activity.
“That was not only in our area, but [University of the Incarnate Word] was also impacted, which, of course, they’re right across the street from us. It was pretty much a group of individuals, if you want to call it a gang, a group that was really focusing on vehicle thefts, not just here at Trinity but in our immediate area,” Chapa said.
Additionally, Chapa says first-years may be more vulnerable to these crimes of opportunity, as they may not be used to taking these precautions.
“There are students that come in that may be naive to practicing good crime prevention. Lock your bike, lock your door, all those things that are common sense for us at times that they’re not used to practicing because they always had somebody else do it for them,” Chapa said.
Ultimately, according to Chapa and theft victims, proactivity by properly registering and locking up your vehicles is key to protecting them and retrieving them if they are stolen. To report a theft, call TUPD’s non-emergency line at 210-999-7070, email them at [email protected] or visit their office at 538 Kings Court.
*Seven Aguirre is an opinion columnist for the Trinitonian.
*Tess Gagliano is the Photojournalism Editor for the Trinitonian.
