In these times of financial woes and worries, the SJCC community can safely get their groove on at school and elsewhere while keeping their cars and themselves warm and safe. 

There is a notion that parking lot thieves are just about everywhere, and if that is true, then it is true that there is a way to combat the worry one may have regarding their property and person. 

“For the 2025 calendar year, there also has not been any reported vehicle burglaries to the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District Police Department,” said Lieutenant Martinez.

This may lessen people’s apprehensions of parking safety. As Lillian, a student who did not share  her last name with our publication, said“I don’t park here because it sucks, I don’t feel it is safe for my car.”

According to Lieutenant Martinez, however, reminded the SJCC community that burglars might think twice before acting on a crime on campus. 

“Police presence … does work as a visible deterrent,” Lieutenant Martinez said. “Suspects may re-think committing a criminal act if police officers are observed on patrol.”Nolan\

Petty Officer Nolan Paras of the United States Navy was casually walking around campus on Oct. 14, handing out flyers and recruiting SJCC students. 

“I have government plates … no one breaks into those” Paras said. “I can’t really say for anybody else that actually comes here on the daily.”

As for those who do “show up on the daily,” Lieutenant Martinez advises having a strong bond with authorities. 

“A good relationship between the community and police department is necessary to continue preventing vehicle burglaries and criminal activity, ” Lieutenant Martinez told SJCC Times. 

Logan Drummond, a second-year computer science student at SJCC, chimed in with his experience. 

“[My car] has been broken into at my house. Some guy tried to get in and just broke the driver-side window but he didn’t get into the car,” Drummond said.

Overall, Drummand still believes he, and his property are safe on SJCC’s campus. 

“Yeah 110 percent, nothing’s happened here so I don’t think there’s any issue here, and it hasn’t happened since so I’m not worried about it.” Drummond said.

The following is a list of crime prevention tips. This list could also be found on the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District Police Department’s website. 

Crime Prevention Tips

• Always be vigilant
• Walk in pairs or groups; avoid isolation.
• Stay in well-lit areas away from potential hiding places.
• Know where you are and where places of refuge are.
• If followed, go toward well-lit areas where there are people.
• Wear clothing and shoes that enable you to move fast!
• Carry only lightweight objects.
• Wear or carry items like jewelry and cash that are minimal in value and don’t attract attention.
• Avoid approaching strangers in vehicles for any reason.
• Carry a whistle or other noisemaker.
• If you think you are in trouble, do anything to attract attention – Scream! Break glass! Sound car horn!
• Consider carrying pepper spray or other lawful self-defense equipment.
• Carry a cell phone and have law enforcement agencies’ numbers preprogrammed.
• Learn self-defense/martial arts if so inclined.