Airport parking garages are typically viewed as secure areas, but recent events suggest they may not always be as safe as passengers believe. A recent theft at John Glenn Columbus International Airport has brought this concern into the spotlight. A woman named Katy, a Columbus, Ohio native, parked her Jeep Cherokee on the fifth floor of the airport’s long-term parking garage while she took a flight. However, upon her return, her vehicle was nowhere to be found. Despite thoroughly checking the entire floor, her car was missing, leading her to file a police report and leave the airport in an Uber.
Days later, Katy was contacted by the Columbus Police, who informed her that her Jeep had been located, but the news wasn’t entirely positive. The vehicle was found at an impound lot, stripped of nearly everything. Katy described her shock at seeing her car “completely stripped” of its components, making it nearly unrecognizable. While this was a distressing experience, it isn’t an isolated incident. Over the last six years, 10 vehicles have been stolen from the Columbus airport parking garage, according to airport officials. In fact, car thefts have been on the rise at several U.S. airports, including Seattle–Tacoma International and Memphis International Airport.
Katy expressed her concerns about the lack of proper security at the Columbus airport’s parking garage. Despite the presence of cameras, she learned that they only capture vehicles entering the garage, not exiting, raising further questions about surveillance measures. This has fueled a broader conversation about airport security and the need for improved surveillance, especially in parking areas, where passengers often assume their vehicles are safe while they travel. Other airports, such as Seattle and Memphis, have also reported increasing car thefts, signaling a growing issue at airports across the country.
