Police are working from a list of about 250 permits reported stolen, Weaver said, adding three to five permits are recovered each week.

If a permit is reported stolen, its number is recorded in ticketing devices used by Penn State police, Weaver said. If that permit is displayed on an illegally parked vehicle, its status will appear when the ticket is issued, he added.

However, most permits are recovered when police compare a list of lost and stolen permits to those displayed in cars parked in targeted parking areas, Weaver said. Although this is time-consuming for police, it is a more effective way to retrieve missing permits, he said.

"(Parking permit theft has) always been a problem. I haven't really seen an increase or decline in lost or stolen permits every year," said Jean Harris, Penn State Parking Office manager.

If a parking permit is stolen, the owner must report the theft to police in the area the permit was stolen, Harris said. Students then can pay the replacement fee of $15 for a new permit, she said. The student will receive restitution from the person who stole the permit if the thief is found, Harris said.

Those without police verification must pay the cost of a new permit instead of the lower replacement fee, Harris said.

Melissa Houser (sophomore-kinesiology) said she does not worry about parking permit theft because she keeps her car doors locked and windows closed. She also avoids keeping valuables in her car, but said she is generally comfortable with the parking permit system.

"I think if you lock your car doors, no one's going to take (the permit) out," she said.

The repercussions for stealing a permit range from a citation for a summary violation to a charge of misdemeanor theft, Weaver said. In both cases, if the person who stole the permit is affiliated with Penn State, he is referred to the Office of Judicial Affairs for disciplinary action, he said.

Students can deter would-be permit thieves by locking doors and closing windows before leaving their cars, Weaver said.