Picked locks, shattered glass, stolen property and diminished safety are the hallmarks of the troubling burglary trend that occurs annually in the Ohio State off-campus area.

Crime, including increased numbers of auto thefts, continues to be a problem for OSU on a daily basis. A peak occurs when students leave for winter break and the target-rich environment is desolate and vulnerable. Upon the return to campus this year, hundreds of students arrived to find their homes or apartments in shambles and their belongings gone.

Despite the possibility of being caught, criminals have continued to target the area for years, said Larry Geis, community liaison officer for the Columbus Division of Police in the 4th precinct.

“In my office, the priority is to do our best to inform and educate, to bring the crime levels down and to get people involved,” he said. “It takes an understanding to know what goes on and to get people to take a stance in their neighborhood and say, ‘This needs to stop.'”

Geis said the December 2005 burglary numbers were around 100, a decreased amount compared with the December 2004 statistic of 120 or 130, he said.

While the Columbus Division of Police aims to decrease crime statistics, it is difficult to set a certain goal, Geis said.

“Of course, it would be great to have our goal number at zero, but that’s a perfect world and we don’t live in it. I would like it around 50, 60, maybe 70, which would mean about two robberies per day,” he said.

Applying strategy is a good way to thwart the plans of a burglar, said Rick Amweg, assistant chief of University Police.

“Crime prevention is not as much about preventing it as it is displacing it,” he said. “All you have to do is make your path harder than the other guy’s. The criminal will go wherever it looks easy to commit the crime, so if you make it look like you’re home, they’re not going to take the chance, they’ll go to the guy next door.”

Although house burglaries were the December crime trend, the latest spree has occurred with motor vehicles theft, Geis said. So far this month, the usual total of 30 or 40 burglaries has climbed to over 100, Geis said.

One can argue about the efficiency of the police force, but the blame for winter break robberies can be spread to a number of areas, said Jeff Wolcott, a sophomore in computer science engineering, whose house on the corner of 14th Avenue and 4th Street was robbed over winter break.

“The police saw it coming,” he said. “They knew there were going to be a lot of break-ins, so they definitely could have had a lot of people out there, but as far as seeing one in particular, that would be pretty tough to catch someone.”

Although the amount of crimes would have made the situation hard to control, the police were proactive when they arrived at the scene to investigate, fingerprint and give instructions on ways to try to get their belongings back, said Wolcott, who lost major items such as his computer, TV, XBox game system, and DVD player and collection.

“I can’t really blame the police because so many people got robbed, but they’re on the right path to finding someone and they’ve done all they can for right now,” he said.

Other people look to their landlords for additional protection from such crimes, said Jessie Juergens, a junior studying international relations whose apartment complex on the corner of 12th and Indianola Avenues had 12 of its 16 units robbed over winter break as well.

“I was definitely satisfied with the way the police responded to the crime,” she said. “But, I would like to see the realtors do something, maybe put in a camera or a couple more locks on our doors.”

Nick Judge, another tenant of the 12th and Indianola Avenues apartment complex, said he felt a similar attitude towards the landlord’s reaction to the crime. Judge, a Columbus State paramedic student, and his roommates found out about the robbery on Christmas morning from a friend.

“I wasn’t really as upset with the police as I was with the rental company,” he said. “Once it happened, the police were around and they were really helpful. As far as preventing it, though, I would definitely say they have room to improve or else there wouldn’t be as much crime happening. It’s as simple as that. There’s got to be something they can do.”