Safety Tips for Winter Break
If your student plans to be gone from campus during winter break, make sure he or she is protecting property and valuables. To prevent theft and other dangers, share these winter break safety tips with your student:
- Lock apartment and office doors, as well as windows, before leaving for the holidays.
- Burglars frequently target cash, compact discs, laptops, bikes, jewelry, video games, bikes, stereos, and televisions. Don’t leave attractive items out in plain sight. If possible, store them in a locked drawer, closet, or interior room. Take small valuables with when you leave.
- Draw curtains and shades, and set a timer for lamps.
- Temporarily stop delivery of mail and newspapers.
- Let a landlord, property owner, or co-worker know how long you’ll be gone and how you can be reached in the event of a problem.
- Record serial numbers for expensive items, such as VCRs and bikes. Property can be also be engraved with a driver’s license number; you may check out an engraver at the central library branch. Victims are far more likely to recover stolen property if items are engraved.
- If you own a scooter, remember that it cannot be stored inside a university residence hall. Make sure to use an external locking device around a tire to prevent theft.
- To help prevent an accidental fire, make sure to unplug large electrical appliances, including computers, stereos, and microwaves.