The further east students and faculty park their cars from Interstate 35, the more likely they are to be burglarized, UTPD statistics show.

University Parking and Transportation Services manages the distribution of parking permits for students and faculty. While most parking lots are “surface” lots on campus, 14 lots are east of IH-35. They are primarily used by students and faculty who leave their vehicles parked overnight. 

These “Longhorn Lots” are open to both students and faculty and are burglarized the most, according to a report provided by UTPD officer
Layne Brewster.

Forty-six vehicles parked inside Longhorn Lots were burglarized since 2010. Two Longhorn lots, 114 and 115, had a combined 23 burglaries in that time.

Biology freshman Schuman Chen, who parks her car in Longhorn Lot 114, said she was not aware of the criminal activity surrounding the lot. She said she would be sure to take all of her belongings before walking to campus from now on.

“That’s extremely unsettling,” Chen said. “I had no idea.”

Similarly, applied learning freshman Daisy Estrada, who parks her car in Lot 103, said she did not know about the burglaries.

“I don’t know anyone who’s had their car broken into,” Estrada said. “I park here because it’s so much cheaper than paying for a spot on campus.”

The cost of parking inside a Longhorn Lot is cheaper than paying for a space on a campus surface lot, according to Parking and Transportation’s website. Garage parking for residence hall students can cost as much as $743 for two semesters. Surface lots cost students $180 annually and regular C-type parking passes cost $120. 

Students can purchase C-type parking passes for Lots 37, 70 and 80, which are just west of IH-35, according to the Parking and Transportation’s website. C-type parking permits are issued to students who are registered for or are auditing classes. Lots 70 and 80 are specific to C-type passes and have seen a total of seven burglaries in since 2010, according to UTPD’s report.

Parking and Transportation distributes A- and F-type parking passes to faculty and staff, which have a larger range of parking spaces on campus. A total of 34 parking lots are designated for faculty and staff, and the majority of these lots are on campus.

F-type parking passes may be issued to faculty and staff who want to park their vehicles inside a garage. 

Faculty and staff parking lots are burglarized less, according to UTPD’s report. Vehicles parked inside faculty and staff-only parking lots have been burglarized six times since 2010.

There have been 47 burglaries inside garages on campus since 2010, but the rate of reported burglaries has decreased in that time. In 2010, 19 burglaries were reported in garages, compared with the seven reports this year. San Jacinto Garage is the most burglarized garage, according to the police report. 

Parking and Transportation director Bobby Stone could not be reached for comment.