FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — While a new report from the Fayetteville Police Department said there were 1,237 larceny/thefts and 1,496 total property crimes reported in the past eight months, those kinds of crimes are down 31% from last year.
Over the weekend, a University of Arkansas student's car was stolen.
"It was Friday night, and I was asleep in my college house, and someone came into our driveway and went through my roommate's cars and then went through my car and ended up stealing my car," Malia Fosse said. "I woke up the next morning and it was just not there."
Fosse woke up the next day in total shock. She said she got home late the night before and doesn't remember locking the car.
"A lot of my personal stuff was in there. I've had that car since I was 16, and it went through high school with me, and so it had a lot of memories," Fosse said. "But it's more than just a car. It's my personal space, and the fact that I don't feel safe in my own college town, it really sucks."
Sgt. Stephen Mauk said property crimes saw a major uptick in May.
"We typically see when the weather warms up, you do see more crimes of opportunity when it pertains to property crimes," Mauk said.
He said people committing these crimes are typically juveniles and young adults.
"They go through neighborhoods checking door handles to see what's unlocked," Mauk said.
Fosse said she lives in a newer neighborhood in Fayetteville and didn't think she could fall victim to auto theft.
"As a 19-year-old, it's really scary because I've never had anything stolen from me before," she said. "I was just in shock because I didn't think people just go and steal your personal items like that. And it really makes me nervous for the future. I was expecting it to be a safe area because we were in that new neighborhood with mainly college students, but I could see how it could be a target."
Mauk reminds everyone there are things you can do to help prevent your property from being stolen.
"Lock your vehicle," he said. "Don't leave anything of value in your vehicle, and certainly don't leave anything of value in view, in plain view, inside your vehicle."
Fayetteville police are still looking for Fosse's car. It's a light blue 2009 Toyota Camry with an Arkansas license plate APB01N.
"Whoever stole my car, please bring it back," Fosse said. "I am a college student. I don't have the money to just go buy a car, and it's my only way of transportation. It might just seem like just a car, but it really does get me places and gets me to work and gets me to school. And so it is important, especially to us people that really rely on our cars to get places."
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