Students with kickin' stereos may have their cars silenced if they fall victim to a recent rash of car break-ins.

Many separate incidents early this week left car owners without stereo systems -- two worth more than $500, the State College Bureau of Police Services said. On Tuesday alone, five car break-ins were reported to State College police.

State College Police Lt. Carmine Prestia said that while there have been an excessive number of thefts and break-ins lately, police have not recognized a pattern and have no reason to suspect the incidents are related.

Police are stepping up efforts to prevent the crimes but would not be specific about what measures they are taking, Prestia said.

And people can protect their car stereo equipment in many ways, said Brian Pebley, a salesman at Paul & Tony's Stereo, 121 S. Burrowes St.

Alarm systems are one method. They cover all points of entry to the vehicle, sounding a loud alarm when a would-be thief tries to enter or tamper with the vehicle, Pebley said.

Alarm systems generally cost about $250 including installation, he said.

But an alarm's effectiveness may be lessened on campus because students often have to park far from where they live, Pebley said.

Although the distance between a vehicle and its owner can cause problems, the loud alarms do frighten people away, said University Police Services Supervisor Wayne Weaver.

Paul & Tony's also carries two types of "theft-preventing" stereos, which cost less than alarms, Pebley said.

One type has a removable chassis, allowing the whole unit to be removed from the vehicle, Pebley said, adding that the other type has a removable faceplate, which makes the stereo unusable.

Systems with theft-preventing features are becoming more common and usually cost less than $50 more than stereos without them, Pebley said.

One simple and inexpensive crime prevention tip Pebley suggested is what he called "stealth" -- making equipment as inconspicuous as possible.

One hiding method is refraining from putting large stickers with the brand names of the equipment on the vehicle, he said.

Another hint is turning the volume down when parking, Pebley said, adding that having the radio loud when parking just draws attention to the fact that the car has a good system.

Weaver said students can help police by looking out for suspicious activity in parking lots.

"The more eyes we have out there, the better," he said.