VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: “It’s Happened Three Times”: Syracuse Students Among Many Hit by Car Burglaries
Caleb Spinner: Drivers in syracuse face more than just snow—car break-ins, thefts, and burglaries are rising. Abigail Yaffe has had her car broken into three times since begining graduate school in july.
Abigail Yaffe: I’m 27 years old, so I’ve had a car since I was like 19, and this is the first time anything like this has ever happened.
Spinner: The latest compstat report shows stolen vehicle cases have jumped over 86% in five years. That number—something the Syracuse Police Department hasn’t commented on yet—includes apartments near campus: both those with street parking like Yaffe’s, and private lots like Olivia Meier’s.
Olivia Meier: Things have happened near my old apartments off campus. But I thought that, since this is so close to campus and there’s cameras pointing right at the parking lot, right where my car was, surely no one would come and smash the windows in.
Spinner: Meier doesn’t know who broke into her car but believes changing her habits has made it less of a target.
Meier: I had an empty backpack in there, which I think was the reason that happened in the first place. So, I’m definitely leaving nothing out now in my car.
Spinner: As for Yaffe, she’s jokingly optimistic about a fourth break-in.
Yaffe: You know what, it may not even be that bad ‘cause insurance might actually cover me that way.
Spinner: Caleb Spinner, N-C-C News.
Syracuse, N.Y. (NCC News) – Olivia Meier started her day like most college students—by checking her phone. As she prepared for another round of graduate classes at Syracuse University, an unexpected email stopped Meier in her tracks.
“I woke up to an email from one of the landlords here,” Meier said. “She told me, ‘There’s glass here. I think your car’s been broken into. Let us know if you need anything.’”
Meier immediately called the Syracuse Police Department’s non-emergency line.
“They took a while to respond and mentioned they were coming from another car break-in,” Meier said. “They sounded a little annoyed, honestly. I think they’re dealing with this a lot.”She’s right—car break-ins have surged. Thefts in Syracuse have increased by 30% over the past five years, while stolen vehicle cases have skyrocketed by 86%, according to data from Syracuse Police in the latest CompStat report.
Despite security cameras in Meier’s apartment lot capturing the incident, police never followed up with her about the footage.
“I told them they could check the footage because my landlords had it, but I never heard anything back,” Meier said. “I assume nothing came of it.”
The Syracuse Police Department did not respond to our request for comment.
Meier isn’t alone in her frustration. Fellow Syracuse graduate student Abigail Yaffe, who lives a few blocks away, has had her car broken into three times since October.
“It’s traumatizing to walk outside and see glass everywhere,” Yaffe said. “You can’t even open your car doors without shattering more glass.”
Unlike Meier’s lot, Yaffe’s apartment lacks cameras, but the neighboring buildings—owned by the same leasing company—do. Unfortunately, that hasn’t helped.
During one break-in, thieves swiped the transmission from her Hyundai—a crime fueled by a viral TikTok trend. Frustrated, Yaffe condemned these challenges for draining innocent people’s time and money.
“I don’t think people realize the consequences of their actions,” Yaffe said. “For them they get a few hundred bucks, but my insurance won’t cover me unless I spend $2,000.”
With out-of-pocket repairs totaling between $5,000 and $6,000, Yaffe has reached a breaking point.
“At this rate, if it happens again, I almost hope they just steal the car,” Yaffe said. “At least insurance might finally cover me.”