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Ed Yeates ReportingThe Utah Transit Authority is asking for your eyes to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary at TRAX station parking lots. UTA security police are asking for your help in another way too,
Though this may look like a ticket, it's actually sort of a risk assessment card and you may just find one of these on the windshield of your parked car in any one of the TRAX lots. The project is a plea for help since transit police can't be everywhere at one time. A few preventative measures on our part as we park and run to catch a train can reduce what are called "crimes of opportunity."
For example, last week on a lot alone at the Sandy end of the line station...
Lt. Jason Peterson, UTA Transit Police:: "Out of this lot of 500 cars, we found about 15 cars that were unlocked and we found expensive golf clubs and laptops, purses, wallets, cash on the front seat."
Officer Freida Smith: "All the doors and windows are up and locked, but in the back here are boxes of tennis shoes that you could break into."
There's also a woofer box visible through the hatchback. Officer Smith chooses to list this vehicle as a medium risk. Inside another car we see an expensive portable car DVD TV.
Officer Freida Smith: "Doors locked, yes. Valuables hidden, no."
On the second row of stalls we found a truck with numerous valuables inside and the door unlocked.
Commuters are accepting those reminders on the windshield.
Bill and Glenna Ross: "He's very careful about locking. I'm not." "I try to keep her in line, but it's hard."
Since the project began, in the Sandy lot alone, failure to secure vehicles adequately, has dropped from 45% to only 2 or 3 percent.
UTA is also asking commuters to call 287-EYES if you see anything suspicious in the parking lots or on trains.
