Four car break-ins on May 8 along Winston Drive were never reported to the Department of Public Safety, excluding them from official statistics and putting into question the amount of crime in the area.

Police said they went to the scene of the incidents and will focus more attention on that area of campus near University Park North, which already received fliers in March from the department warning of a spike in vehicle theft.

The cars—a white Hyundai Accent, a white Acura Legend, a green Toyota Rav4 and a gray Honda Accord—were parked on the campus side of Winston Drive between Lake Merced Boulevard and Buckingham Way. Each had shattered passenger windows and open glove compartments, and some personal items were scattered on the street.

The incidents came a week after [X]press reported that SF State had fewer auto burglaries and vehicle thefts this year than the same time last year, but the figures reflected only reported crimes.

Unreported crimes are not uncommon at SF State. "They happen all the time," said Patrick Wasley, deputy chief of university police. Police were notified of the four cars along Winston Drive that morning, but did not hear from any of the car's owners. "We're not going to take a report without a victim" because if someone does not tell police about the incident, there may not be enough information about what happened to investigate, he said.

"Because of the nature and location" of the incidents, police will respond with increased presence and more directed patrols in the UPN area, Wasley said. The impression police got from the scene, though, was that "that was an isolated deal. It was boom, boom, boom, boom. There's really nothing left to go on," he said.

The San Francisco Police Department's crime map lists one reported instance of petty theft of property on Winston Drive for May 8, the day [X]press learned of the four break-ins.

It is possible that one or more other reports could show up on the map later if the reports were made online, said Officer Scott Briggs of the Taraval police station, because sometimes "we don't get that information until a week later." Though he did not have specific statistics readily available, he said, "you guys are having a major problem with auto boosting out there."

Reporting crimes to campus police or the SFPD is important because "even the smallest crime goes into the crime map" and police could respond to a rash of incidents by allocating more resources to a given area, Briggs said. Conversely, if several incidents occur but only some get reported, "it might not be seen as a high priority," he said.

Wasley agreed. "We count the incidents that get reported to us. Two incidents, to me, is a coincidence. Three is a trend,"he said.

"We can't do something about something we don't know about. If you're a victim of a crime, call us," Wasley said.

People can file a report to campus police by calling 415-338-7200 or visiting the department office on North State Drive, between Winston and Lake Merced.

List of precautions students can take to avoid vehicle theft from Campus Police Bulletin to Buckingham Way residents, dated March 5:

*Park your vehicle in a well lit area
*Lock all doors
*Roll up and lock all windows
*Activate car alarm if you have one
*If you see a suspicious person or situation, call the police immediately
*Remove high-dollar items from vehicle (CD players, purses, wallets, MP3 players, backpacks, luggage, etc.)

Staff writer Doug Morino contributed to this article.