Saint Patrick’s Day is a national holiday that many students at John Carroll University look forward to every year. Whether partying on Warrensville, wearing green, hanging out at The Flats or even participating in the Running of the Gingers, this commonly observed holiday is seen as an opportunity for students to celebrate their cultural heritage by spending quality time with one another.

However, over Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, six JCU students were notified by JCUPD via email that windows to their vehicles parked at the Notre Dame lot were smashed. Currently, first and second year students that reside on-campus are parking their vehicles at Notre Dame College due to the ongoing construction on JCU grounds.

“I would feel absolutely disheartened, especially since I live so far away and that is my mode of transportation to get home,” Rebecca Diller ‘27 told The Carroll News. “I would not be able to enjoy the rest of the night with friends at all and would be so stressed about how I am going to pay for it and get it fixed in time to go home for Easter.”

On the morning of March 18, JCUPD issued the following security alert through an all-campus email:

“A JCU shuttle driver notified JCUPD to report several vehicles with broken windows at Lot B on the Notre Dame campus. Lot B is used by JCU students as off-campus parking. All vehicles that were identified as having damage in Lot B are those registered to JCU students. [The] Notre Dame Police Department was notified, as well as [the] South Euclid Police Department. All involved JCU students were notified and directed to contact South Euclid Police to file reports. From available information at this time, there are no reports of stolen vehicles and it is not known if items were stolen from any of the vehicles.”

According to police reports published by the South Euclid Police Department, the following vehicles were targeted: a 2012 Ford Escape, a 2013 Volvo, a 2020 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan, a 2021 Jeep SUV and a 2013 Acura. The only thing reported missing from one of these vehicles was $4. The other five cars only had windows broken with no stolen property listed. Between all victims, the estimated repair costs vary between $300 and $3,000.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first incident of vehicular vandalism that has occurred in an off-campus parking lot. In fact, many instances have taken place over the last couple of years.

“In the last 15 months, we had three incidents in the JFX lot and three incidents in the Notre Dame lot,” Jeffery Daberko, chief of JCUPD, told The Carroll News. “Until Feb. 24, we had no incidents of any kind in the Notre Dame lot for over a year.”

Not only have vehicle-related crimes been on the rise in the JFX and Notre Dame parking lots, Daberko informed The Carroll News that these offenses suddenly became more common in the area this academic year. He stated “South Euclid and Lyndhurst have been experiencing a string of car break-ins lately, and in the case of the JFX lot, cars were also broken into in the apartment complex behind the lot. JCU is not immune to these trends.”

Daberko went on to say “We do take the safety of our students seriously and are always looking for ways to improve. The unfortunate closure announcement at Notre Dame College has given us an additional challenge to deal with.”

One way JCUPD plans to improve safety at John Carroll University is by increasing patrolling efforts at the off-campus parking lots. “We are increasing our patrolling at [the JFX and Notre Dame lots] and have requested University Heights and South Euclid Police do the same.”

Joe Di Lillo is the public information officer for the South Euclid Police Department and he also commented on this issue.

“Officers have increased their patrols in the Notre Dame College parking lots,” he said. “When doing so, officers create a call for service by notifying the CVD Dispatch Center [that] they’ll be in the parking lots, proactively providing a strong police presence, while looking for any individuals who may be on grounds without authorization or may have criminal intentions.”

More lighting and cameras is another call to action that JCUPD will be taking to ensure students’ safety, especially overnight when crimes tend to occur the most.

“We are looking at short and long term security improvements that can be made to the off-site lots we use. This would include cameras and lighting,” Daberko said. “We constantly do this on the main campus as well. It is a bit harder on sites that JCU does not directly control.”

Di Lillo stressed that this is an ongoing investigation and no leads have been received regarding the whereabouts of any suspects associated with the vehicle break-ins. According to Di Lillo, the South Euclid Police Department will still conduct a full investigation if there are no tips by attempting to locate any witnesses, as well as by obtaining nearby security and doorbell camera footage. Depending on the cost to repair any damages from these crimes, charges could rise from a misdemeanor to a felony, if applicable.

Some students have wondered if the amount of partying that was done in the University Heights area due to Saint Patrick’s Day festivities have a connection with the incidents at the Notre Dame lot. When Di Lillo was presented with this question, he told The Carroll News “While in the past we have seen increases in certain criminal activity on certain holidays, this does not appear to be one of them.”

The Carroll News reached out to JCU Parking about future plans for parking and safety after Notre Dame College permanently closes. Even though they have very limited information regarding the vehicle break-ins, Jenna Seifried informed The Carroll News that “Updates for parking during the 24-25 school [year] have not been decided upon yet.”

According to the security alert issued last week, JCUPD has the following safety advice. “To report a crime, suspicious behavior or any emergency, please immediately contact JCUPD, 24 hours a day at 216-397-1234. If you are unsure about calling, play it safe and call so that potential problems can be addressed and/or prevented. Escorts are provided anywhere on campus and areas immediately adjacent to campus. Request an escort 24 hours [a day] by calling 216-397-1234.”

JCUPD also mentioned “Jog or bike during daylight only in areas you are familiar with and stay within the vicinity of the campus. Protect your belongings by locking your office/room door every time you leave, don’t leave purses, book bags, laptops and other valuables unattended. Keep valuables out of sight in your car. Don’t allow ‘tailgaters’ to enter secured doors behind you, especially in residence halls.”

Di Lillo recommends “to park your vehicle in a well-lit area if possible. Remove all valuables. If you cannot, keep them secured in the vehicle’s glove compartment, locked. Please report any suspicious activity to the local police department.”

By applying these tips to our everyday routines, the number of vehicle-related crimes can decrease dramatically, thus keeping our communities out of harm’s way.