Several FGCU students' cars keyed in North Lake Village parking lots

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — Several Florida Gulf Coast University students say their cars were keyed in campus housing parking lots.

The University Police Department is actively investigating the reports and has increased patrol in the area.

"It's not even just about the cars. It's about overall student safety," FGCU student Saidee Rincon said.

The University Police Department says they received several reports of vehicles being intentionally damaged and keyed in the North Village Lakes parking areas near buildings A, B, F and the Ackert Community Center. The total amount of cars keyed has not yet been released.

Students say it happened within the span of days.

"Tuesday morning was when our roommate across the hall noticed it on his car. The UPD was downstairs. They saw it, and I think Wednesday evening, going into Thursday, is when they noticed all the other cars being keyed," Rincon said.

FGCU student Zachary Naglowsky said the financial burden is a real concern for students.

"We're just college students. We can't afford it if people don't have ceramic coating. If it's just key and going along the door, it costs money. We don't have that money," FGCU student Zachary Naglowsky said.

Students also say there are not many cameras in the dorm areas, making it harder to identify who is responsible. Some students took matters into their own hands.

"She resorted to using her dash cam to try and see who it was. I know people who were sleeping in their cars planning stakeouts on social media. One of the RAs put a camera in his window to try and see who it was. Try to catch this person," Rincon said.

The University Police Department has increased patrols in the affected areas. But students hope that this results in bigger changes.

"There's nothing around here that they can do. There's no cameras on the buildings. It's just sitting around here waiting for cars to get keyed," Naglowsky said.

The University Police Department sent out an email statement to students. They say they are taking these incidents very seriously and are actively investigating each case. But for students, the damage has already been done.

"It's kind of too late for that. If they've already keyed everybody, and then you're seeing that statement like a week later, they should have been. I feel like they should have taken action earlier," Rincon said.

University Police are still looking to identify those responsible for this. Anyone with information is asked to call the University Police Department at (239) 590-1900.