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Vehicle Safety

  • Always park in lighted areas.
  • Always lock your vehicle.
  • Don't go alone. Not always possible, but it's still good advice.
  • Carry small loads at a time, keeping arms free for movement.
  • Have your keys ready to use.
  • As you approach your vehicle, OBSERVE IT. Look around the vehicle. Look into the front and back seats before unlocking the door.
  • As soon as you are safely in your vehicle, lock the door.
  • Never hitchhike, and never pick up a hitchhiker.
  • Keep your vehicle in good repair.
  • Never let your gas gauge get below one quarter of a tank.
  • Be aware of your surroundings. Walk with confidence. When the criminal picks out a victim, in most cases he looks for three things:
    1. A person who appears to be weak/vulnerable
    2. A person who is unaware of surroundings, not paying attention
    3. Opportunity

Crime is a part of the society we live in. We are all potential victims. If we give the would-be criminal numbers 1 and 2, he will find number 3. Personal awareness is truly the key to prevention.

Vehicle Burglary Prevention Tips

  • Lock ALL your vehicle's doors even if you plan to be gone for only a brief time.
  • Never leave your keys in your vehicle.
  • Always roll up windows and close sunroofs in parked and locked vehicles.
  • Remove potential theft items out of sight in a parked and locked vehicle. You may realize that a bag or purse in your vehicle contains nothing of value but a thief may not until he/she burglarizes your vehicle.
  • If you must leave valuable items in your car while out-and-about, place items out of sight before reaching your destination or move them inconspicuously. This includes packages, backpacks, gym bags, GPS units, MP3 players, and so forth. Someone may be watching when you put items under a seat or throw something over them. An opportunistic thief is on the lookout for trunk-packing, and can break into your car the minute you're out of sight.
  • Don't leave any "sign" that there might be valuables "out of sight" in your vehicle, such as docking stations or connector cables. Leave nothing in "plain sight" that might make your vehicle worth "investigating" by a thief.
  • Most Commonly Stolen Items:
    • Backpacks, gym bags, laptop bags
    • Cash/coins, checkbooks and credit/debit cards
    • Wallets and purses (even when hidden under a seat or in an unlocked glove compartment)
    • Laptop computers, iPods and MP3 players (and docking stations)
    • Cell phones (and chargers)
    • Portable GPS navigation systems
    • Stereo/CD players (and faceplates), amps, speakers
    • Jewelry
    • Anything of obvious value
  • Register your valuables! As a last line of defense (not really to prevent theft as much as to aid in recovery), register your valuables. UPD offers a free property registration program where valuables can be recorded into a database with UPD. The Property Registration System can be accessed through MySFA. Navigate to the MyServices section in MySFA and the UPD Property Registration System is located in the left navigation bar.
  • Report suspicious activity. If you see someone in a garage or parking lot that seems suspicious, call UPD as soon as possible to investigate.

Contact

Parking Services
Phone: 936.468.7275 | Fax: 936.468.7089
sfaparking@sfasu.edu

Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (except on university holidays)
We will be open on Saturday, August 26, 2023 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., this Saturday only.

Physical Address:
1925 Wilson Dr.
(First floor of the Wilson Parking Garage)

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 6132, SFA Station
Nacogdoches, Texas  75962