Crime Prevention

Most crimes reported to University Public Safety 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 bike. Lock your purse in a drawer in your office. 
• Lock your door when you leave, even if you’re 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 using 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 a common occurrence. The resale value of books makes them attractive targets for petty thieves. 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

Place your name and address on the inside cover of the textbook and on one or two inside pages. Engrave your personal code on items that might interest a thief, such as television sets, stereo equipment, radios, cameras, computers, appliances, sports equipment, bicycles, and CD players.

Through Operation Identification, University Public Safety provides the campus community with easy-to-use engravers at no cost. Call (507) 537-7252 to arrange for an engraver.

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? At best, most of the people in your building will be acquaintances. 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, close it.
• Report suspicious behavior immediately to the campus police.

Vehicle Theft Tips

Auto theft is often a crime of opportunity. Thieves looking to strip a car for parts generally target vehicles with the highest market value for their parts. These are usually older cars or models that are most popular with American consumers, rather than brand-new, expensive automobiles. Kids looking to go for a joyride or petty thieves looking for stereo equipment are not necessarily looking for the nicest car in the lot. More often than not, they are looking for the easiest car to steal.

Don't Make Their Job Easy!

Tips For Protecting Your Vehicle From Theft

• Do not leave your keys in your car or leave your vehicle running while unattended, not even for a few seconds. What could be easier for a thief than to slip behind the wheel of your idling vehicle and drive away?
• Always leave doors locked and windows rolled up. Getting into the car is half the battle. Don't let the thief in for free.
• Park in well-lit, well-traveled areas. Although it may only take a thief a few seconds to steal your car, he would prefer not to be seen while doing it.
• Keep valuables and packages out of sight. These may draw the thief's attention to your vehicle. Once inside, the thief may decide to steal your car as well as your valuables.
• Use deterrent devices such as car alarms, steering wheel locks (club-type), electronic kill switches, or other devices available on the market. Although none of these devices is foolproof, they will make your car a more difficult target to break into.
• For mopeds, use a U-lock or locking chain. For motorcycles, you can use a disc lock on the rear wheel.