Safety & Crime Prevention Off Campus

Top Ten Safety Tips for College Students (via Campus Safety)

Safety at Home

• Take care of your house keys. Give an extra key to a neighbor you trust; don't leave a key around outside your home where someone could steal or duplicate it.
• Always lock your doors at night and when you are away, and avoid propping doors and first-floor windows even when you are home. If your locks break or stick, report the problem to your landlord immediately.
• Do not allow anyone you don't know access to your home. Know who's at the door before you open it.
• Don't leave valuables in plain sight when unattended. Write down serial numbers of phones, computers, iPads, and anything else of value.
• Keep shrubbery around your house trimmed to limit ways for thieves to hide or climb to upper levels.
• Use bright outdoor lighting.

Preventing Burglary While Away

• If your home will be empty for an extended period of time (e.g., on school break), get timers to turn lights on and off in different rooms throughout the evening.
• Don't let mail pile up. Call the Post Office to put a hold on your mail while you are away.
• If you arrive home and something looks questionable — a slit screen, a broken window, or an open door — don't go in. Call the police.