Trevecca security encourages students to lock their cars following a series of thefts on campus

By Kaleel Steward

Staff Writer

After a reported 11 cars were rummaged through or stolen from on campus in November, security officials are kicking off a messaging campaign to students: Like it, Lock it, Keep it.

Director of Security Greg Dawson was handing out free stickers that read “Like it, Lock it, Keep it” in Jernigan Student Center during lunchtime encouraging students to be sure to lock their cars.

Vehicle break-ins by unauthorized users have increased on campus since 2022. According to Trevecca security’s annual safety report, one break-in was reported in 2023, and three in 2022. No incidents were reported from 2019-2021.

These were not ‘smash-and-grab’ burglaries, meaning that their windows were not broken. These theft incidents occurred because individuals forgot to lock their cars, Dawson said.

Junior Dayton Floyd had an incident happen to him in the spring semester of 2024 in the parking lot behind Moore Gymnasium building.

One morning, Floyd’s roommate had mentioned to him that he saw his hazard lights on in his car, and Floyd went to turn them off and did not notice that anything was missing from his car.

“The next time I went back to my car, I went to go put my phone up on my phone mount and there was no phone mount there. So I was like, ‘Oh, no..’ It kind of hit me that someone stole it,” said Floyd. “That’s why my hazard lights were on, then I started frantically looking to see if I had anything else because I had a few things that I definitely didn’t want to get stolen.”

After searching, Floyd had lost two bottles of cologne, $40 in cash and the Christmas present he was going to give to his girlfriend.

“So I realized that, and since then I have locked my car every single day, no matter where I am,” said Floyd.

Wes Sharpe, a Trevecca alumni and a student photographer for the athletic department, has had his vehicle entered on two separate occasions by homeless people while parked on campus. The first time occurred in the parking lot between Wise Hall and Jackson Center for Music and Worship Arts over Christmas break during the 2023-2024 school year.

“That one like made sense because obviously there’s not that many people on campus other than athletes, but I’m driving an older truck so it’s easier to get into,” said Sharpe.

“The person left their jacket in my truck. I think they slept there overnight… and in the jacket, they had like a warrant for their, like a paper warrant that simply said they were wanted in Florida for grand theft and then I found her Facebook… so it’s kind of crazy… they very much could have lived there during Christmas break for all I know,” said Sharpe.

Sharpe then had his vehicle broken into again in the summer of 2024 while he was hanging out at UC.

“They tried to rip my radio out, but they didn’t and they mainly just trashed it and they only stole three dollars and left a note,” said Sharpe. The person that broke into Sharpe’s vehicle left a note on the back of the vehicle registration that repeatedly read, “I’m homeless. I’m homeless. I’m homeless.”

Dawson encourages students not only to lock their cars, but also to make sure valuables and belongings aren’t in plain sight. He recommends storing things under the seats or in the trunk.

“From a safety perspective, be aware of your surroundings, keep yourself safe and know who’s around you and those kinds of things,” said Dawson. “And that’s not just on campus, that’s anywhere you go.”