By Paige Engelhardt
When Luciana Loreira and her roommates got out of bed earlier this month, they awoke to a startling discovery.
While peacefully sleeping that night, intruders had broken into their apartment and stolen a DVD/VHS combination player, DVDs, a purse with important identification information and keys to their apartment and car.
Unfortunately, Loreira, a 20-year-old junior from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil studying advertising communications, is not alone in her losses. Just last week, Brian Pulsipher, a sophomore from Delta, Colo. majoring in Biology, had two laptops, a hunting knife and a watch stolen from his local apartment south of BYU campus. The question that now lingers in the minds of many students similar to Loreira and her roommates is, ?What ever happened to Happy Valley??
Looking past the plaid shirts and khaki pants, knee-length skirts and button-down shirts, one might be surprised at the Provo they discover. Despite the innocent fa?ade, Provo has an average of 49 misdemeanor thefts, or thefts valuing under $1,000, per month with about 34 percent occurring just outside BYU campus, according to a 2004 study done by the Provo City Police Department.
Is ?the bubble? image bursting into oblivion or are people just generally na?ve? Attributable to pre-conceived notions of ?Happy Valley,? Provo residents let trust come between them and their home security despite an unchanging residential burglary crime rate.
An annual report released by the police department shows that the statistics for residential burglary, or unlawful entry of a home with the intent to commit a felony, theft or assault, have not significantly increased since the year 2000. The greatest fluctuation was from 2000-01 when the number of residential burglaries dropped from 356 to 279. Since then, the numbers have remained at or around 330 burglaries per year.
The fact that many students living in the Provo area feel so safe has been one of the leading causes of the thefts.
?They think they?re in Provo, Utah, and they can leave the doors open and they can be fine,? said Sergeant Reed VanWagoner from the Provo City Police Department. ?It?s good that they feel safe, but they still need to lock their doors.?
Megan Cannon, a 20-year-old junior from Salt Lake City, majoring in speech language pathology, said she had a reawakening experience due to a recent burglary in her Provo apartment. While attending morning church services, with a sick roommate at home, Cannon and her fellow roommates left their door unlocked. Upon their return and mad-rush to the refrigerator, Cannon said they soon discovered many missing items such as bananas, apples, yogurt, oranges, cheese and various frozen goods.
Although the value of the missing items does not warrant high criminal activity, Cannon said it definitely served as a learning experience.
?I think it?s kind of an eye opening ; a reminder that it?s not as safe and happy-go-lucky as we think,? Cannon said. ?People may be honest, but you catch them in that one moment of dishonesty and your stuff is gone.?
The student perceived security blanket at BYU and in the Provo area has much to do with the morals expected at the university and by church members. But this sense of security can often be falsified.
Loreira says she no longer feels safe living in small-town Provo.
?I?m from a big city and coming here it?s small,? she said. ?You think everyone has your standards and that nothing like that would happen. I?m just so frustrated that this happened. I just don?t feel safe anymore.?
VanWagoner said people definitely exploit the trusting atmosphere created by the BYU community and various residents.
?They obviously take advantage of that ? that we leave the doors open,? he said.
Although merely locking doors could seem like a small thing, it makes the most difference in avoiding misdemeanor home thefts. VanWagoner said 90 percent of the burglary incidents could have been easily avoided had the residents simply locked their doors.
These events, although uncommon, have stirred greater caution in many students regarding their overall security in Provo.
?I have classes in Salt Lake till late,? Loreira said. ?I?m afraid of walking to my apartment ? that something will happen.?
Loreira, who used to leave her doors unlocked during the day, said much has changed in her attitude and actions due to her recent experiences.
?It really changed my ? everything,? she said. ?If you don?t feel safe, how can you live happily??
Cannon has also changed a few prior habits to accommodate her newly developed cautious way of thinking.
?I definitely make sure we lock the doors at night,? she said. ?I double-check when we leave the apartment, that the door?s locked.?
Pulsipher said he agreed that the Provo community needs a broader general awareness of the criminal activity that takes place right in our backyard.
? just be a little more aware that it could happen to anybody, and because of that, everybody should take ? the same precautions so they don?t experience the same type of thing or something worse.?