COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Spring break always means lots of campus crime.
NBC 4's Lauren Diedrich BROKE DOWN THE NUMBERS in a crime-watch report.
NBC 4 looked through dozens of police reports and found five burglaries that happened near campus during break.
Students said they're not only are they out expensive personal items but are concerned about safety as well.
Debbie Crawford won't need her laptop case anytime soon
"When she told me my laptop was gone, I cried," Crawford said.
Crawford is a student at Columbus State Community College. She didn't have enough money to go on spring break this year.
She wasn't home when her brand-new laptop was stolen along with another computer during a burglary last week.
"At 3 a.m., my roommate woke up to get some water. She noticed everything was in a disarray," Crawford said.
Crawford wasn't the only person living near the OSU campus whose stuff stolen: Several other students living near campus reported computers, DVDs and other personal items stolen.
Preliminary reports showed there were several burglaries throughout the university area.
Community Crime Patrol's Ellen Moore said criminals wait for that time of year.
"People go away for spring break. They leave their stuff in their house, their apartments. They know that," Moore said.
Moore said CPD made a concerted effort to curb crime during the break.
Community Crime Patrol was out, too, but was less visible than normal due to budget constraints.
Crawford and her roommates were hoping to recover their stolen belongings and hope their grades don't suffer in the meantime.
"It's going to be really hard to deal with that without getting a new one, which i can't really afford," Crawford said.
Authorities weren't able to say whether last week's crimes were higher or lower than average.
SMART TIPS
When students are away, the criminals will play.
Here are some tips from OSU's Off-Campus Student Services to help you better protect your personal and expensive property.
- The University police has ultra-violet ID pens students can use to mark personal property. Campus police checks recovered valuables to ensure property is returned to the rightful owner. You also can ask for stickers that alert would-be thieves that your goods are marked.
- Window alarms also are available.
INTERACTIVE CAMPUS CRIME MAP
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For additional information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com -- Where Accuracy Matters.
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