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Spike in crime near campus concerns UNCC students

By Mark Barber
By Mark Barber

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Robbers and thieves are stealing from UNC Charlotte students who live in off-campus housing.

[RELATED: Men burst into apartment near UNCC with guns, rob students]

Channel 9 crime mapped the area and learned there have been more than 175 crimes in the apartments, streets and shopping centers around campus in the past four weeks.

"That’s scary and puts fear in you," student Samuel Ogumola said.

Student Delaney Morgan said, “I actually live a little bit off campus and my car was broken into about a month ago.”

She isn't the only one who was targeted.

[RELATED: 911 call released in hit-and-run, shootout at UNCC campus lot]

Channel 9 looked through crime data for the 2-mile radius around UNC Charlotte and found nine car break-ins, three armed robberies, 27 burglaries and 139 cases of theft in the past four weeks.

“That’s a serious number. That’s a serious issue,” said Ogumola.

Sophomore Martin Thompson added, "They look at college students, I guess, as easy targets.”

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police are investigating an alarming crime that happened right before Thanksgiving break.

Officers said two men shattered a glass door to an apartment in the middle of the morning and held guns to the heads of international students before they stole their laptops.

[RELATED: Man walked into UNCC dorm, assaulted female student, police say]

“Students struggle enough on their own." Ogumola continued, saying, "It just doesn’t make sense that people are trying to rob them of their hard work.”

Channel 9 discovered most of the crimes are happening on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays and many of the crimes are during school hours.

“That’s crazy because next year I’m looking for apartments and a lot of people are telling me not to for that reason,” said freshman Megan Perry.

For students who are concerned about crime, the university is asking that they download an app called Live Safe. It shows your location to law enforcement officials if you’re in trouble. It also lets your family or friends monitor your location if you're walking home alone at night.

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