A perennial safety issue in Chapel Hill arose again Friday, when police announced that a string of cars have been reported as vandalized.
On Thursday and Friday, Chapel Hill police officers found eight vehicles with broken windows, seven with at least one tire punctured and two cars with both broken windows and punctured tires, according to police reports.
The incidents primarily have been confined to northern Chapel Hill, in the areas near the north end of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Jane Cousins, the department's spokeswoman, said nothing has been stolen out of the cars that have been vandalized, adding that vandalism happens more often in college towns than other places.
"It's gone on in Chapel Hill for years," she said.
A press release from the department also noted that numerous car windows in the area have been broken with rocks and BBs in recent months.
Art Englebardt, an officer with the community services division of the department, stressed the importance of educating citizens in order to prevent car vandalism.
"We try to educate the people not to leave things in the car, keep the car locked," Englebardt said.
He also said that individuals should park in well-lit areas and avoid parking in the street when possible.
