Groups on campus are taking extra steps to secure their golf carts after a period of increased theft during the fall semester.
The Department of Public Safety reported just before winter break that the rate of golf cart thefts on campus rose dramatically in October and November.
DPS Cmdr. John Sutton said the number of cart thefts decreased sharply over the break and has risen again this month but is "still not up to the level that they were when we issued the alert."
No suspects were identified in the 2004 thefts, but DPS arrested an 18-year-old male student this week in connection with the theft of a golf cart.
The man was arrested about 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning after an officer patrolling Parking Structure 5 allegedly saw the suspect approach a cart, start it and crash it into nearby Palo Verde Main, while another individual videotaped the incident.
"I guess the guy that was stealing wanted a record of it," Sutton said.
In a public bulletin, DPS advised cart owners to secure their carts at the end of the day with a heavy chain and lock or to lock them in a fenced area. Police also advised cart owners to use locking devices to impede access to the steering wheel or ignition.
Many departments on campus are taking action after becoming victims of theft.
The College of Law recently began locking its golf carts after they had been pushed away from their parking places and vandalized, said administrative associate Suzanne Morris.
University Libraries now keeps its golf carts inside at night, said ASU librarian Sherri Schmidt, after one of its carts was stolen from the east side of Hayden Library and ended up near Wells Fargo Arena with windshield damage.
Sutton said the 2004 thefts did not target any specific school or department.
"The thefts have been ... all over the campus," he said.
Undergraduate Student Government Vice President Julie Johnson said one of the carts used by the Safety Escort Service was stolen in December while it was at the fleet services garage for repair.
The cart was found the next day in downtown Tempe, but Johnson said the cart had been "totaled."
"Someone was playing bumper cars with it," she said.
Johnson said USG is not taking any additional security precautions because its carts are already locked in a fenced area. The Safety Escort cart was out of the USG's control at the time of the theft.
Many of the carts stolen last year were also apparently taken by students and used for joy riding, said Randy Hoyum, DPS crime prevention officer.
Hoyum also said Facilities Management is working on modifying or retrofitting some of the older carts on campus with a more secure ignition system.
"Unfortunately, some are a bit more vulnerable than others," Hoyum said.
Reach the reporter at brian.indrelunas@asu.edu.
