Three MSU students and one other person were arrested Saturday for possession of stolen property.
MSU Police Chief Georgia Lindley said she could not release the names of those involved because the investigation is ongoing.
Starkville police held a press conference Saturday indicating the suspects were part of a burglary ring that extended from Clarksdale to Starkville, according to local news reports.
Lindley said the suspects were apprehended when someone reported seeing a person going through an off-campus Starkville parking lot with a flashlight.
“We believe these are the same people responsible for the on-campus auto burglaries,” Lindley said. “We encourage the victims from the residence hall auto burglaries to come to the station and identify their property.”
Ten vehicles were reported burglarized between Oct. 12 and Oct. 15. Six of the vehicles were parked in the Hathorn Hall parking lot. The other vehicles were parked in Cresswell Hall, Griffis Hall, Sessums Hall and Northeast Village parking lots.
Lindley said people need to lock their cars and not have valuables visible through windows to prevent burglaries.
“We have an awful lot of people coming through campus, and people should pay attention for anything suspicious and call the police if necessary,” Lindley said.
The MSU Police Department employs 20 residence hall patrol officers to monitor the parking lots. Five to six of the officers patrol every night, Lindley said.
Assistant dean of students Thomas Bourgeois said the university is always concerned about student safety.
“There is a 24-hour escort service through our police department, and anytime there’s a burglary we try to tell people about this and other tips,” Bourgeois said.
Bourgeois said the university does crime prevention through presentations with officer Marcelo Mango, crime prevention coordinator.
Students should write down the serial numbers of any electronic equipment they own and also take pictures of valuables in case something is stolen, Bourgeois said.
“Just be smart about coming to college,” Bourgeois said. “MSU is a very safe campus, but we also have an open environment. Use good judgment and stay safe.”
Undeclared freshman Andy Horn lives in Hathorn Hall and said he feels safe walking to his room.
“I’ve seen the officers in the parking lot patrolling at night, and I feel pretty safe living here.”
Horn said that he was unaware of the auto burglaries.
“They [Residence Hall Association] have not given us any safety tips about our cars or anything, to my knowledge,” Horn said.