By Lasia Kretzel

String of car break-ins plague U of S campus

May 9, 2015 | 4:43 PM

University of Saskatchewan (U of S) residence students are livid and looking for answers from the administration after more than 50 cars were damaged and windows smashed during a crime spree late Friday night. 

“I don’t feel safe,” resident Mohammad Sarkar said. “Every morning when I go to the parking lot, I check if my glass is okay or not. That’s my first duty, and if it’s okay, thank God, I’m happy.”

Sarkar said this is the second time his car has been broken into since February and students said they are becoming more common. Many said they counted up to 53 cars with multiple windows broken in the parking lot behind McEown Park.

On Saturday, amid vacuuming broken glass out of their cars, students vented their frustrations with the university administration. They said little has been done to protect cars in the parking lot and no changes have been made to security after they report break ins. Last November, 24 cars were ransacked in the same parking lot. 

Many question where their monthly $50 parking fees are going. A single video camera atop one residence and occasional patrols are all that guard the parking lot. 

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Students like Izabela Vlahu said they contacted campus security only to be told they would either not help or that victims needed to speak to campus parking officials.

“Why are we paying for this parking? We’re paying for some kind of security but it seems we’re better off parking on the street rather than here,” Vlahu said, adding she’s worried someone could get hurt if they come across a robbery in progress. 

Saskatoon Police said they offered to help but the matter is under the jurisdiction of U of S Protective Services. 

Protective Services said no one in the office was able to speak to media while university communications said they are working on a statement.

“Vandalism happened two months ago at the (Graduate Student Association) break in and the university did nothing,” Vlahu said. “Now this is happening, the university is going to do what?”

Andres Posso was just about to start his morning run when he noticed his car windows were smashed. 

Posso said his iPod and a few other possessions were stolen, but the real cost is the repairs. 

Like Posso and his wife, most of the people living in the residents are international students and some have families. Many said the damage is a hefty blow to their budgets.

“It’s devastating. We are students, we cannot work full time so our resources are very short,” Posso said. “And now we have to pay $500 for (repairs). It’s insane. That means next month basically I’m not going to have money for food.”

panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @lkretzel