In car-centric Houston, vehicles are as important as air conditioning in the summer months, and more than half of University of Houston students, staff, and faculty drive to campus daily, parking their vehicles in one of the campus parking zones and garages. Vehicles help campus community members arrive for class and work on time, but if their car is stolen or damaged by a thief, it becomes a costly and inconvenient matter.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 1 million vehicles were stolen nationally in 2022 in the United States costing vehicle owners more than $8 billion. Additionally, a single-passenger vehicle is stolen every 32 seconds in the U.S as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In Texas, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reported that Texas had 55,365 motor vehicle thefts from January to July 2023, and in 2022, 105,015 total vehicles were stolen in the Lone Star state.

PBS News Weekend recently detailed what’s behind a surge in car thefts and carjackings across the country. Watch the report to learn more.

Summer, particularly, is the worse season for vehicle theft. For that reason, July has been designated as Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention Month.

University of Houston Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Felipe Gutierrez said there’s been a decrease in vehicle thefts in the past year but that in prior years it’s been among the top 10 crimes committed on campus.

One of the ways UHPD was able to reduce on-campus vehicle thefts was increasing patrols in the campus’ six parking garages, eight parking lots, and 16 gated lots.

UHPD also uses a sky watch tower which incorporates cameras to view the parking lots and garages. Gutierrez added that the department has also conducted more in-person outreach to educate the campus community on motor vehicle theft prevention.

Aiding UHPD in the task of deterring vehicle theft on the many parking garages and lots on campus is security measures taken up by the university. The ongoing campus lightning and security project includes a more than $18 million investment in LED lighting conversion, improved lumens per square foot, the installation of additional cameras, emergency call boxes, parking gates at parking zone entrances and exits, and security signage. Also, UHPD security officers monitor parking zone activity 24x7 from tall parking kiosks. UHPD is exploring innovative technology solutions to augment current police and security presence to provide virtual police and security patrols.

The campus lighting and security project is ongoing with an estimated completion date of spring 2026.

Parking & Transportation has also rolled out a Lot Spotter program. The reporting system allows anyone from the UH campus community to send in reports of issues at a specific parking lot or garage. Issues can range from a broken light to the cleanliness of a parking lot, and other routine items. Signage for the Lot Spotter program, including QR Codes for easy access, can be found in each parking zone and garage.

The Lot Spotter program from Parking & Transportation is only for routine items and should be used for emergencies. For emergencies, campus community members can call or text UHPD at (713)743-3333 or call 911 from a campus phone.

As Motor Theft Prevention Month continues, please follow the tips below to stay safe and help keep your vehicle safe on campus.