Motor vehicle owners lost approximately $6 billion in theft in 2018, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Between 2016 and 2018, 229,339 vehicle thefts contained keys or fobs left in the vehicles.
Despite the safeguard of the Honor Code and the general respect for others that circulates throughout the Hillsdale College student body, the honor isn’t unbreakable and doesn’t extend beyond campus.
There were over thirty break-ins in the city of Hillsdale during the first two days of the vehicle theft spree, but the robbers only confiscated cash from unlocked cars off-campus. Later in the week, however, they ventured onto some campus parking lots. They followed the same trend of taking strictly cash from unlocked cars.
At Hillsdale, we’re fortunate enough to leave our backpacks lying around in the student union while we run to the bathroom or leave for class all day without worrying about theft by other students. This is a product not only of our students’ strong, personal code of morals, but also because of the encouraging Honor Code.
Only students of the college sign the Honor Code, however, and we, students, need to take heed against unfortunately common criminal incidents. Hillsdale, although a quaint and overall safe town, has its dangers.
When students walk alone at night, fail to lock their houses and cars, or let their guard down when they’re holding cash in Kroger, they’re putting themselves at risk.
It is part of the idyllic Hillsdale culture to assume everyone abides the same honor code we do, but that is not the case. Although students ought to practice their own honor code everyday when outside the safe haven that is campus life, it is necessary for them to also take basic safety measures to prevent potentially dangerous situations.
