Recovery of stolen permits leads to student arrests

Parking and Transportation has found about 10 stolen permits since Feb. 3, five of which came in the last week, said Marlis Davis, director of Parking and Transportation Services.

Davis said the department is not doing anything differently to recover lost or stolen permits but is finding more of them.

"We are always looking for them," she said.

Lt. Brian Seastone, spokesman for the University of Arizona Police Department, said he has noticed a small increase in theft charges for stolen permits.

Parking and Transportation enforcement officers look for lost or stolen permits in University of Arizona parking lots by comparing permit numbers to a list of stolen and lost permits, Davis said.

Davis said that as of Thursday, Parking and Transportation has found 37 lost or stolen permits since school started in August.

"When we find them, we do call the police department," Davis said.

Two students were cited on theft charges Monday after parking enforcement officers saw stolen permits in their vehicles.

One of the students, a resident of Apache-Santa Cruz Hall, 1420 E. Fifth St., was cited on a theft charge after a stolen permit was found in his 1984 Subaru, UAPD reports stated. He told police he bought the permit for $20 from a "guy" on campus.

Alex M. Verdugo, 21, of the 5000 block of South Herpa Drive, was cited on a theft charge after a stolen parking permit was found in his 1981 Ford pickup, police reports stated. Verdugo told police he purchased the permit for $75 from a "guy" last semester who had put an ad in a newspaper advertising the permit was for sale.

Three other students have been arrested since Feb. 26 on theft charges related to recovered parking permits.

Davis said that all UA parking permits are non-transferable, meaning they are not to be sold. She said someone who no longer needs a permit should return it to Parking and Transportation.

When a person buys a permit from someone else, it could cause problems for either party, Davis said. She said people must understand that they are responsible for their own permit.

Davis said that when a stolen or lost parking permit is found, Parking and Transportation Services often immobilizes the vehicle with a "boot" and confiscates the permit.

People who lose their permits should report it to Parking and Transportation, Davis said. She said people also need to report permits that they find.

Davis said that if a permit is lost, it can be replaced for $50. She said the person can receive a refund for the cost of the replacement permit if the original permit is later found.

People who park in UA lots also need to be careful about leaving their windows down or cars unlocked because that is how many permits are taken, Davis said. She also said permits are stolen everywhere, including off campus.

Parking and Transportation statistics show that 142 permits have been reported lost and 50 permits have been reported stolen since school started, Davis said.

She said permits are taken from all lots, but Zone 1 permits are stolen more often because more of them are in circulation.