Gone in 60 seconds.

An auto theft can take place in just that short of time. Auto thefts at Saint Louis University, as well as in the city of St. Louis, are up.

More then 8,000 cars have been stolen from the city this year, an increase of 25 percent. There have been 11 auto thefts this semester on campus parking lots and the city streets marking the boundaries of the University. Only five of the vehicles stolen were parked on University lots. Of the autos that have been stolen on campus, seven of 11 have been recovered.

Director of Public Safety Jack Titone said the department has made arrests in three separate cases. In two of the cases victims inadvertently left their keys in the ignition. In one incident, there was no forced entry or tampering with the ignition. The St. Louis Police Department believes that the thieves are using a set of master keys to steal Nissan and Toyota vehicles. The most frequent cars stolen in the metropolitan area are Chrysler model vehicles from 1999 to 2002. In the Chrysler model vehicles, the steering column can easily be broken with a dent puller or screwdriver.

DPS reported that there were a number of automobile incidents over Thanksgiving break. At 401 North Spring, on a private parking lot off campus, a DPS officer observed three subjects in the attempted stealing of two automobiles from the lot. One subject was arrested and the other two fled in a vehicle that belonged to a student at SLU.

DPS also responded to the LaMoyne parking lot, behind Grand Forest, on Nov. 30, where two male subjects were observed looking into cars. These suspicious subjects were charged with trespassing on University property, Titone said.

On Dec. 1, DPS made two arrests. Two subjects were taken into custody after being caught removing license plates from a vehicle in the Detroit Mercy Parking Lot, north of campus on Spring Avenue. Two weeks ago DPS arrested an individual on the South Campus of who was stripping a car that had been previously stolen from the Saint Peters lot, outside Marchetti Towers. All suspects were turned over to the SLPD.

The individual arrested on the South Campus told police that the cars with the hot items (CD players, stereos and CDs) clearly visible from outside the car are targeted.

SLPD and DPS believe that the increases in auto thefts and break-ins are due to the current state of the economy.

The “hot items” taken from cars can be easily sold on the street corners in a matter of minutes. Crime increases every year from Thanksgiving to Christmas, Titone said. Titone believes that with the onset of the cold weather, crime will decrease.

In a recent security advisory Titone said, “In light of the thefts, DPS has deployed additional patrols to monitor our surface lots.”

DPS recommends that if a vehicle does not have a car alarm, that one should consider purchasing an anti-theft product such as a Club. The Club is placed around the steering column, preventing the steering column from being broken. These devices can be brought from a number of automotive stores. One may also wish to consider having a mechanic install a kill switch on his or her car. A kill switch device can be hidden anywhere in the vehicle and will prevent the electrical connection to the ignition even if the key is in the ignition.

The following safety advice is offered by DPS for the protection of one’s vehicle:

* Always keep your doors locked and remove the keys;

* do not leave any extra ignition keys in the glove box or underneath the floor mats, as this is the first place a thief will look;

* remove detachable stereo faceplate and store CDs in a hidden area;

* never leave packages or any other items in plain view on seats;

* do not leave your vehicle running unattended.

In addition, the parking gates serve as a deterrent to crime activities, making access for outsiders more difficult. Anybody caught breaking or damaging the gates will be charged with damaging University property, Titone said.

As always, DPS stresses that anybody seeing suspicious activity should report it to the Department as soon as possible by calling 977-3000.