The number of campus-area motor vehicle thefts is below police expectations through the first weeks of classes, but the campus is not totally safe from thieves.

"This year, we've not experienced the same surge in vehicle thefts as last year," said Detective Sgt. Sal Celi of the University of Arizona Police Department.

In the past three years, the number of campus-area motor vehicle thefts has more than doubled, according to UAPD statistics. Celi said no specific trend has been identified.

"It simply could be we have a more active person or persons stealing from us," Celi said. He said most thefts from UA lots involve juveniles and joy riding.

Throughout Tucson, motor vehicle theft increased from 1992-95, but thefts have been fewer thus far in 1996, said Tucson Police Department Sgt. Gary Okray.

Motor vehicles are taken day and night, depending on the concentration of vehicles and pedestrians near a vehicle, Okray said. For example, he said, vehicles in large apartment complex parking lots are more likely to be taken at night.

Most thefts from UA property occur during the day, Celi said.

Both Okray and Celi said security systems can be helpful, but they are neither infallible nor unbeatable.

Six of the top 10 most often stolen motor vehicles in Tucson are manufactured by General Motors Corp., Okray said. He said these vehicles have interchangeable parts.

Trucks are very popular among motor vehicle thieves, Okray said.

"It's practical. In the Southwest, what do most people drive?" he said.

Nationally, cars account for 79 percent of stolen motor vehicles, according to 1994 FBI statistics.

This past year, a city task force on auto theft has pursued cases the five TPD motor vehicle theft detectives would not have had time to close, Okray said.

The task force made 191 arrests, recovered 219 vehicles and closed 11 vehicle chop shops in the last 18 months, Okray said.

Of the 6,184 cars stolen in Tucson in 1995, Okray said, 60 percent were recovered within the city limits.

According to FBI statistics, over 1.5 million motor vehicles were stolen in the United States in 1994, and there is one theft for every 130 registered vehicles. The thefts cost $7.65 billion in 1994.

Celi approximated that two-thirds of cars stolen on UA property are recovered.

The difficulty of recovery lies in finding the perpetrators, Okray said. He said there is usually no usable evidence at the scene of the crime, and often none when the car is recovered.

Celi said police need civilian help to solve motor vehicle theft cases. He said most cases at the UA involve one driver and several "lookouts." Thus, a suspicious person hanging around a parking lot may not be a thief, but an accomplice. He said suspicious people should be reported to police.

"It couldn't hurt to say, 'Hi, what are you doing in our parking lot,'" Celi said.

People who witness suspicious activity in a UA lot should call 621-UAPD.

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