Locked out of your car? If it's on campus, USU police can help

By Emma Tippetts

April 15, 2005 | Locking your keys inside your car is never a pleasant experience, but if it happens on campus, USU Police are happy to help.

USU Police helped 330 students last year get back on the road after they had locked their keys in their car on campus. Last weekend USU police had seven calls in eight hours on Saturday, and a total of 13 calls just that weekend.

Lieutenant Steve Milne said this trend is not a nuisance to the officers on patrol and there is no charge for unlocking a vehicle. "We see it as a service we provide to the students," Milne said.

Milne said the USU police have an agreement with the locksmiths in the county so they make sure not to disrupt their business. The only way the USU Police can unlock any vehicle free of charge is if it is on campus at the time.

Milne said most of the time an officer can open the car in a matter of minutes, sometimes even a few seconds, but it's not always that easy.

"Sometimes we can't get into a car, so we have to call a locksmith anyway," Milne said. In those rare cases the student is required to pay for the locksmith charge, which Milne said ranges between $25 and $30.

Milne said they get calls from students all day long, and are happy to provide the service, as long as it is on campus. Residence halls on campus have the availability of this free service from the USU Police, but any other student housing, including the sorority or fraternity houses are required to call a city locksmith.

The USU Police are available 24 hours a day at 435-797-1939.

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