CLEVELAND — Cleveland Clinic employees who wish to remain anonymous told News 5 they are tired of cars being broken into and stolen from employee parking lots and garages located on E. 89th Street and Carnegie Avenue. These employees are also frustrated about having to pay for monthly parking in locations that feel unsafe.
One victim, who wishes to remain anonymous to protect her job, is demanding parking safety at the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus becomes a priority.
“It's for the safety, the well being, and the peace of mind of the people who are working there taking care of patients,” the victim said.
A few months ago, she said she parked her car in the E. 89th Street surface lot. After finishing her 24-hour shift, her car vanished.
“I did several laps around the lot, assuming that I just forgot where I parked, or I was missing it, or I was tired from the shift, until eventually I saw a pile of glass about in the area where my car was parked,” she added.
She's not the only victim, though. Back on March 4, Cleveland Clinic confirmed with News 5 that two additional cars were stolen out of the employee garage located across the street from the surface lot.
Furthermore, the victim said two car break-ins happened as recently as Wednesday morning. However, there’s an element to all these incidents she finds incredibly frustrating.
“There was no alert or safety warning, anything like that, that went out on that day or any of the days following, letting employees know that this was happening and that cars were being stolen and vandalized in their parking areas,” said the victim.
She feels the Cleveland Clinic staying silent about campus crime doesn't protect anyone.
“I think it's useful information to know for our safety and to keep our property safe,” she added.
Despite the whirlwind of the past couple of months, the employee now has a new car but has since learned from Cleveland Police her stolen car was involved in a hit-and-run.
“My car ended up being totaled," said said. "I think it was over $6,000 worth of damage was done while my car was in the possession of the people who stole it."
She wants parking lot surveillance increased and communication improved so there are no more victims like her.
“Hopefully something can be done to make us feel safer while we are taking care of our patients in the clinic,” she said.
News 5 reached out to Cleveland Clinic for comment and record requests on Wednesday. They told us they are working on our requests. News 5 has also reached out to Cleveland police as well, but we are waiting to hear back.
On Thursday, the Cleveland Clinic sent us this statement:
The safety of our patients, visitors and caregivers remains a top priority and we take these matters very seriously. In recent months, there has been a concerning rise in car break-ins and thefts across Northeast Ohio. It is deeply disappointing that individuals are taking advantage of vulnerable patients, visitors, and dedicated healthcare workers and their personal property. We take every precaution to minimize and prevent these crimes and have established a multi-layered approach to improve safety. This includes increased safety patrols, installing updated security technology across the health system, sharing regular safety alerts and prevention tips, as well as hiring more personnel and paying overtime for additional police presence on our campuses.
