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Security system pares equipment thefts at ski area By JULIE SWENSEN Preventing theft Don't leave your ski equipment unattended -- use the ski corral. For $1, you can place your ski equipment in a fenced area where a staff member keeps watch all day. Engrave your name on your ski equipment. Engrave the serial number on the ski equipment. Eric Stowers, head of security at Ski Ashland, recalled a man whose skis were stolen out of the parking lot, and staff located a pair of skis matching the description. But because the man didn't have the serial number, there was no way to prove the skis were his. Use the 50-cent lockers in the main lodge area to store your belongings. If you're looking to steal a snowboard or skis at Mount Ashland, your chances of getting busted are much greater now. Ski Ashland installed surveillance equipment the day after Christmas, and it paid for itself the first night, said Eric Stowers, head of security at the ski resort. The tape has recorded three snowboard thieves, who were subsequently convicted of theft and criminal trespass. Mark Tarantino, law enforcement supervisor for the U.S. Forest Service in Southern Oregon, said he thinks that word has spread quickly that the cameras are in place. "We're very confident there will be a significant reduction, if not a near-elimination of the problem," Tarantino said. The thefts have been an increasing problem at Mount Ashland over the past several years, and as snowboarding has grown more popular, thefts have migrated from skis to snowboards, he said. He added that the parking lot's proximity to the lodge allows thieves a quick way out. Stowers said some people come to the mountain specifically to steal, even changing clothes in their cars between thefts. But the surveillance equipment can cut down on the chances for a clean getaway. Once a snowboard is reported stolen, security staff are sent to the parking lot to search cars and shut the lot down, Stowers said. As that's happening, a security officer rewinds the tape to see who stole the snowboard. Thieves who have been caught on tape were "amazed," Stowers said. The surveillance footage is given to police. The enhanced security seems to be making an impact. The day after Christmas two years ago, six snowboards and seven pairs of skis were stolen, and the next day, eight snowboards and three pairs of skis were taken. Fast forward to this last Christmas, when no skis or snowboards were stolen the day after the holiday, or the following day. Stowers said any ski and snowboard thefts that happened this year occurred because their owners didn't leave the equipment in the ski corral, a fenced area where staff watch over the equipment in exchange for $1. Stowers said staff are also considering posting photos at the lodge of people who are caught stealing. "If the people of Ashland think it's a good idea, we'll do it," he said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA