The Urbana Police Department is facing an abundance of crimes. These crimes are not assaults or burglaries but theft of license plates.

“In Urbana, we have seen nine or 10 of these, maybe a couple of more,” police Lt. Michael Metzler said.

Gary Spear, crime analyst for the Champaign Police Department, said the city has experienced 34 thefts of license plates over the last six months. The Urbana Police Department has experienced more than 10 thefts in the first two weeks of February.

Metzler said these plates are mostly out of state, and they have all occurred in one location – the area south of Green Street and one block east and west of Lincoln Avenue.

“I suspect because of the location from which these have been taken . I suspect that there may be students involved,” Metzler said.

Metzler said it is hard to catch people who have committed these crimes because sometimes the victims do not report their plates missing right away.

“Some people have reported them on the same day that they believe they were stolen, and others it may have been awhile before they noticed it,” Metzler said.

He said two license plate thefts were reported on Feb. 5, and the department received several calls about more thefts on Feb. 6. The department received one report last weekend.

Lt. Holly Nearing of the Champaign Police Department said people might steal license plates to avoid paying the $78 fee that goes to the state.

“They can put the plate on the back of their car, then they don’t have to register their car,” Nearing said. “They kind of avoid paying for a while until or unless the police stop them.”

Mira Dahlheim, freshman in LAS, said she has never had a license plate stolen, and that it is the last thing she would worry about being taken from her car. She said she does not know the first step to take in order to protect her license plates.

“I usually think of someone breaking in and stealing your sound system like your radio, but not your license plates,” Dahlheim said.

Nearing said the best way for students to protect themselves is to always be alert.

“If you see something suspicious, don’t think about it, don’t talk to your roommates . call us, because that is our job.”