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The number of break-ins and burglaries from dorms, sorority houses and off campus houses this semester was enough to cause concern in students and trigger a coalition of community groups to take action.

Since the beginning of the semester there have been about 35 cases of larceny and six cases of burglary reported to the UVM Police Services, according to the campus police’s online crime log. 

Off campus, there were nine burglaries reported to the Burlington police over a four-day period from Sept. 26 to Sept. 29, according to the BPD’s online reports. 

In addition, two sororities, Delta Delta Delta and Kappa Alpha Theta, were broken into in September. 

Of the more than 40 cases of larceny and burglary on campus, all but two are still under investigation, according to the reports. 

“That’s bad,” junior Jillian Brown said of the number of thefts and break-ins on campus. “I think the police should probably devote more time to solving these cases of theft rather than focusing so much on alcohol and drugs. The alcohol is always going to be there. But theft can be prevented.” 

In order to combat this high number of burglaries and break-ins, the Burlington Police Department, Community Justice Center, UVM’s Office of Student and Community Relations, the City Council and the Neighborhood Planning Association formed a neighborhood safety partnership and created a safety survey to distribute throughout Burlington in June. 

The Neighborhood Safety Initiative survey asks residents specific questions about the level of safety and concern for safety on their streets. 

The BPD and Neighborhood Planning Association will use the data collected from the survey to create strategies to better improve the safety of Burlington neighborhoods, Ward 2 representative and professor Jane Knodell said.

“It is about us all taking responsibility for our own safety by working together,” Knodell said.

There is also a list of safety tips the group came up with that can help residents combat these crimes themselves, she said.

“Another [goal of the plan] is people connecting with people on the streets [and] looking out for each other,” she said. “A large problem with the student population is locking your windows and doors. By doing this it helps keep yourself and neighbors safe.”

The survey is currently available at studentvoice.com/UVM/safety and will run until the end of the month. The data will then be presented at Neighborhood Planning meetings where strategies for safety services will be discussed.