After a series of on-campus car burglaries which began early in February, the Department of Public Safety has issued a number of warnings urging students to lock their car doors and to remove valuables from their vehicles.

Police fliers on car windshields and elsewhere around campus warn that thieves have shown a propensity to target portable global positioning system (GPS) units.

The fliers also warn that “it is not uncommon for suspects to walk down a row of vehicles and check vehicle doors to see if they are unlocked.”

Deputy Chris Cohendet advised students not to leave anything of value in their vehicles.

“Don’t try to hide any laptops or backpacks in your seats,” he warned. “Burglars are smart, and they try to take advantage of that. Make sure the car is locked and use your alarm at all times.”

Cohendet also cautioned against trying to conceal valuable items in glove compartments or under seats, saying that thieves are aware of these tactics.

“Obviously they’re looking in windows and seeing what they like,” he said. “They’re seeing these devices inside windows. So they’re basically window smashers. They’ll break windows with a ceramic chip or some kind of prying tool to get in; they’re very slick.”

The burglaries — which have resulted in eight stolen GPS units — have been clustered around dormitory parking lots and student housing areas. Other areas around campus have generally been unaffected.

According to Cohendet, these crimes do not reflect a decrease in campus safety.

“We’ll get an increase in auto burglaries, we’ll arrest someone, and then there’ll be a decrease,” he said. “In a few months, there’ll be another increase. Crime definitely comes in waves.”