A vandal targeting vehicles in university parking lots thinks he or she has a license to steal.

Vehicles with out-of-state license plates have been the target of a surge of recent thefts. ISU Police have received 13 reports of stolen license plates since March 13.

“As of this morning, each report involves a plate from a different state, and all but one of those have been out-of-state license plates,” said ISU Police Capt. Gene Deisinger.

According to the department’s log, nine of the 13 reported thefts have occurred in lots surrounding Frederiksen Court.

Erin Brown, senior in animal science, has South Dakota plates and said she was unaware that other out-of-state license plates had been stolen until an ISU police officer told her about other victims when she reported one of her plates was missing March 14.

Brown’s car was parked in Lot 93, a commuter lot northwest of the Veterinary Medicine building, when the theft occurred. She said only the rear plate was taken from her vehicle.

“[The theft] happened at night, because I knew I had it at 9 o’clock the night before,” she said.

Deisinger said police received a sudden rash of reports Sunday but are unable to determine whether the increase of thefts are occurring at night or students returning from Spring Break are just now noticing the missing plates.

Before Sunday, only seven such reports had been made.

“There is an apparent delay in some cases between when owners notice and when a report is made,” he said. “In some cases, our officers [on patrol] have contacted owners.”

Vehicles parked in Lot 59E, east of Friley Hall, and Lot 63, near the Maple Willow Larch residence halls, have also been vandalized. Also, a Minnesota resident reported to police that one of her plates was missing.

Another resident at Frederiksen Court, who had Ohio plates, also reported his vehicle’s rear plate was stolen March 13 from Lot 112.

“The car right beside mine had Colorado plates and the rear one was taken from that car as well,” said Jarrod Siegel, junior in architecture. “When the cops came, they said they had just received a report that an Illinois plate had just been called in.”

Deisinger said because owners cannot monitor their vehicles while parked, the only thing police can do is advise owners to ensure their plates are securely fastened and report any suspicious activity.

Along with an increase in patrols by police, Deisinger said awareness of the problem may deter more thefts. Deisinger would not speculate on the motive behind such activity, but he said it could be as simple as someone collecting the plates or as serious as someone taking them to use on stolen vehicles.

“I think someone is collecting them and putting them on their dorm wall or apartment wall,” Siegel said.

Brown agreed, but said she is upset about the hassle with insurance the theft has created.

“It’s a headache, especially being so far from home and having to contact the right people to have them send you new plates.”