SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio — John Carroll University (JCU) is increasing security measures after three cars were stolen from students in less than a week.
According to JCU Chief of Police Jeffrey Daberko, two Kia vehicles were stolen Saturday and one was stolen Wednesday. Though university police officers and South Euclid police responded to the incidents, the people responsible for the thefts were not located.
Because of limited parking on the JCU campus, many freshmen and sophomore students have to park off-campus. This school year, the university leased out 340 parking permits to a lot on the former Notre Dame College campus.
However, Officer Joe Di Lillo, Public Information Officer for the South Euclid Police Department, says the permanent closure of Notre Dame College this past spring has led to security issues.
“It’s strictly, pretty much for parking these days, which reduces a lot of foot traffic, people coming and going, things that reduce criminal behavior, criminal activity,” said Di Lillo.
Drew Washburn, a JCU sophomore, was the victim of the Wednesday theft.
He says he took the shuttle from the JCU campus to the Notre Dame College parking lot, but when he arrived, he realized his Kia was gone.
After contacting South Euclid police for help, Washburn says his car was found abandoned in a Cleveland garage, but the ignition and steering column had been removed.
“I mean it’s mostly just frustration,” said Washburn. “It’s the third car stolen from this lot just this year, which is, obviously, it's been two weeks worth of time. And I was frustrated that they hadn’t put more security out, aside from the few patrols which were obviously easy to get around.”
In response to the incidents, Daberko says the university has been working alongside South Euclid police to patrol the area seven days a week. He says they’ve also implemented mobile and stationary surveillance cameras to keep track of activity.
Di Lillo says community safety is the South Euclid Police Department’s top priority.
“Our officers will continue to drive through there, be proactive, be visible,” said Di Lillo. “We want individuals to see us, the students to see us so they feel safe, but we also want individuals who might be on grounds to perhaps perform criminal activity to see us and perhaps think twice about performing such acts, realizing we will take that incident seriously, we will arrest them, we will prosecute them”
As an added precaution, the South Euclid Police Department is providing steering wheel locks to students who come to the police department and ask for them.
Di Lillo says the wheel locks act as a huge deterrent when a thief is trying to determine which car to steal.
John Carroll University Chief of Police Jeffrey Daberko provided the below statement to 3News:
John Carroll University (JCU) is taking significant measures to address recent incidents of vehicle thefts in the auxiliary parking lot located at Notre Dame College. Over the past week, three Kia vehicles have been stolen—two on Saturday and one on Wednesday. Both South Euclid Police Department (SEPD) and JCU Police Department (JCU PD) patrol the lot seven days a week, and both departments responded to the incidents, but were unable to apprehend the culprits.
To enhance security, JCU will deploy a security officer to the lot from 11 PM to 7 AM daily and have active surveillance through both stationary and mobile cameras. Additionally, the university is in the process of acquiring vehicle steering wheel locks to bolster protection for students who have permits for the Notre Dame lot, and the South Euclid PD is offering free locks to the community. The free locks from the SEPD are available to Kia and Hyundias owners –the type of cars at the center of recent local vehicle thefts.
JCU shuttle services are available to assist with transportation, running from 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM on weekdays and from noon to 11 PM on weekends. Historically, vehicle thefts have not been a major issue, but the recent closure announcement of the Notre Dame campus has impacted security dynamics.
JCU has leased and sold all 340 parking permits available, which adds to the urgency of ensuring safety. The university remains committed to safeguarding its community and addressing these incidents promptly.