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Many
campuses experience an influx of thefts during December.
Textbooks, laptops and other valuables are at risk,
making it even more important for students to take simple
precautions. You can help students keep their belongings
safe and sound by sharing the following tips:
- Textbooks.
Encourage your student to write his name near the
binding of a certain page in each textbook. This way,
if a book is stolen, he can tell public safety to
look for his name on page 77. This will help identify
his book, should it be sold back to the bookstore.
-
Locking Doors. If your student lives in a residence
hall, she's probably feeling pretty comfortable with
the people on her floor by now. However, that doesn't
mean she should leave her room unlocked, even if she
runs down the hall to the bathroom. For both personal
and property safety, encourage her to keep the door
locked. Thieves become familiar with people's patterns.
A locked door can thwart even the most prepared want-to-be-thief!
-
Laptops. These are BIG targets throughout the year.
Does your student have a laptop safety device? Is
the computer engraved with an ID number? These precautions
can help track down laptop thieves more easily.
-
Unattended Goods. Leaving a book bag on the library
study table for two minutes or failing to lock it
up when you're working out at the gym increases the
chances of it walking away exponentially. Students
need to keep their belongings with them at all times
or locked safely away.
- Big
Ticket Items. Stereos, DVD players, iPods, portable
CD players… these items and others are a temptation
for thieves looking to "holiday shop" in
your student's room. Encourage him to keep these things
out of site, when possible, and, again, to keep the
room locked at all times.
- Cash.
It's never a good idea to have large amounts of cash
on hand. Whether it's stashed in a sock drawer or
readily available in a wallet, industrious thieves
can find it. Keeping track of cash, ATM cards, credit
cards and other personal IDs is very important for
students to keep in the forefront of their minds,
even when papers and projects are piling up.
Gently
remind students that this is one of the hottest times
for thieves to strike. By taking some simple precautions,
they can avoid some complex headaches.
Lost
Keys/Cards
When students are feeling frazzled and fried due to
finals, they can get a bit scatterbrained. This might
mean that residential students misplace their room keys
or cards. Instead of "waiting until it turns up,"
the best bet is for them to alert residence life staff
immediately and get their locks changed. It's too easy
for someone to find the key/card and access a student's
room, especially if it was attached to their student
ID or other identification. This puts the people-including
your student's roommate(s)-and the property in that
room at risk. This is never a good gamble to take!
Copyright
2005. PaperClip Communications www.paper-clip.com
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