Most crimes reported to the UGA Police involve property rather than personal danger. You can minimize your chances of becoming a victim by remembering that college campuses are not immune to crime. Follow these common-sense rules:
Lock up!
Lock your residence hall or apartment door, even when you’re home. Lock your car. Lock your purse in a drawer in your office. Lock your door when you leave, even if only leaving “just for a minute.” It only takes a thief 10 seconds to take something from your room or office. Lock your door when you sleep, even in a residence hall. Don’t hide the key to your room or apartment outside. Thieves are more experienced than you at inventing— and discovering—such hiding places. Lock your bike to an immovable object with a maximum-security bike lock.
Don’t leave your property unattended.
…in the library, dining hall, classroom, restroom, or any campus facility. Theft of backpacks and textbooks is common. If you’re leaving for a minute, take your things with you. Don’t leave notes on your door announcing that you aren’t home. Don’t leave things in the laundry room.
Identify your belongings.
Put your name and address on textbooks—inside the cover and on an inside page or two. Engrave a personal code on items that might interest a thief—televisions, phones, cameras, computers, appliances, sports equipment, bicycles, and anything else that’s portable and valuable. Record pertinent information on valuable items like description, make, model, serial numbers, personally applied codes, value, and any distinguishing marks or features that would help to identify the item. Keep this document in a safe place, away from the valuables themselves. If property is stolen, your written inventory helps provide a detailed description of what’s missing, and if the property is recovered, the police can identify the owner by the engraved code or other distinguishing features.
Be a little suspicious.
You may know your neighbors in your residence hall or apartment building are fellow students, but what else do you know about them? Until you know them well enough to be friends, don’t take chances. Don’t lend your keys, student ID, driver’s license, or meal ticket to anyone. Don’t open a building door for a stranger who doesn’t have a key. Don’t prop open a door—and if you see one that is propped open, close it. Report suspicious behavior immediately to UGA Police.