In General

• Always be aware of your surroundings. Recognize the situations you are most vulnerable.
• Report any suspicious activities, people, and/or vehicles to the Campus Safety Office as soon as possible.
• Watch out for your neighbor; strength in numbers isn’t a myth.
• Know who to contact in emergency and non-emergency situations and keep those numbers in your phone or with you at all times.
• Know what you’ve got: valuables, vehicles, cash, etc. The more you know, the better off you are.

Out and About

• Avoid walking alone at night whenever possible. If you have no other option, walk in well lit areas, don’t take shortcuts, and keep away from shrubbery, backs of buildings, or any other place a person can hide.
• Make use of the escorts available with the Campus Safety Office - that’s why it’s offered.
• If you think you are being followed or stalked, stay in well lit areas and walk with purpose. If you are pursued, call for help and run to the nearest campus building. Do anything that will attract attention, summon assistance, or frighten off the assailant.

Vehicles

• Do not accept rides, or give rides, to people you just met.
• Consider installing an alarm system with a panic button.
• If a suspicious person or persons approach your vehicle, lock the doors and roll up the windows. If you need to speak with them, roll the window down just enough to talk. If the person appears to be a threat, honk the horn and flash your lights.
• If you think you are being followed, stay on well lit streets. Find a place where there are other cars or people, stop, and let the vehicle pass you. Do not stop or park your car at your place of residence so they can easily find you again.
• Always check your surroundings when you get out of your vehicle, day or night. Make a mental note of other vehicles and people in the area. Something might not happen to YOUR vehicle, but your neighbor might need your help. License plate numbers, make and model of vehicles, individuals you can identify later, etc. are all useful bits of knowledge.
• Always lock your vehicle whenever it is unattended, even if it’s for just a couple minutes.
• Check the interior of your vehicle before you enter, especially the back seat.
• When walking to your vehicle, have your keys ready in your hand.

Personal Property

• Keep doors and windows to your room and car locked at all times.
• Try not to keep your room and vehicle keys on the same ring.
• Study in well lit areas where you can keep everything near you.
• Do not leave any valuables unattended for any period of time, even if it’s just a few minutes.
• If your room or car has been broken into, do not go inside. Contact your RA or Campus Safety Office from a friend’s room or directly. If you are inside when you discover a crime may have occurred, do not touch anything. There could be evidence important to an investigation.
• Don’t leave any valuables in view of passersby; in your room, vehicle, while eating, anywhere.

Bikes

• Invest in a good bicycle lock and use it whenever your bike is unattended.
• Always lock your bicycle on a sturdy pole, sign, lamppost, bike rack, etc.
• Find out if your bicycle is covered under your parents’ or your own insurance policy. If not, find out how to include it.
• It is strongly recommended that you register your bicycle with the Campus Safety Office.  Doing so better facilitates recovery in the event that your bicycle is lost or stolen.

*Remember: Unreported crimes and incidents cannot be solved. By not reporting crimes, you allow the perpetrator(s) to believe they can commit further, and perhaps more serious, crimes.