Student safety

Students are, statistically, one of the most likely groups to fall victim to crime.

They own more expensive consumer goods per head than the rest of the population, they often live in the type of accommodation which is more vulnerable to being burgled and many have a closer than average relationship with alcohol.

Add to this that young people (aged 16 to 24 year old) are around three times more likely to be victims of burglary than people in other age groups, this all combines to make students all the more vulnerable.

The University of Hertfordshire has a campus here in Stevenage which means the town has many students who live and socialise in the town.

Top safety tips

To avoid becoming a statistic all you need to do is to follow a few common sense tips. The following tips could make all the difference:

• When you move in to your student accommodation, check to see if the locks work properly on the windows and the doors. If they don’t then tell your halls of residence manager or landlord.
• Many burglaries happen when a door or window has been left open - in a private home or flat, lock up whenever you go out, with deadbolts if you have them. In the summer try not to open windows which are on the ground floor and open directly on to a pavement or pathway, and if you do, never leave anything of value on the window ledge.
• If you live in a hall of residence, be careful who you let in or who follows you into the building - lock your bedroom door even if you are only going down the corridor. It takes a walk in burglar seconds to walk out with your MP3 player or mobile.
• Thieves are usually after an easy target - walk in groups at night, travel by taxi or stay over with friends, your safety is worth more than the cab fare home!
• If possible, use cash-machines during the day - put your card and cash away and be vigilant - never write down your PIN and try never to use a hole in the wall if you have been drinking. A potential thief will spot a vulnerable individual very quickly and mark you out as an easy target.
• Never, ever, tell anyone your PIN number.
• Keep cards and cheque books separately - note down your card details so you can cancel them quickly but never write your pin down. Even when you are cancelling a lost or stolen card the bank will never ask for your pin number.
• Always lock your car and put valuables out of sight - never leave the keys in the ignition even when paying for petrol. Many insurers will not fully cover you if you are negligent in the theft of your vehicle.
• After a night out, arrange to go home with friends, or in a taxi.
• To prevent spiking, don't leave drinks unattended –EVER.
• Be vigilant when using your mobile phone, and try not to leave it on the bar or table when you are in a pub. If your phone is stolen, call your network or 08701 123 123 to immobilize it.
• Protect yourself with insurance - keep lists of the make, model and serial numbers of your electronic items to help police track them down if they are stolen. We all know that being a student is a costly business but contents insurance isn’t that expensive and will provide you with an enormous amount of peace of mind, plus the replacement of you valuables if they are stolen. Remember most policies have an upper limit on how much cash they will cover, so try not to keep too much paper money laying around your accommodation.
• Mark your property with the initials of your university (e.g. UH, for the University of Hertfordshire) and your student ID number - this makes it harder for a burglar to sell stolen goods and can help the police to return items to you. Ultra violet markers are available at high street shops or via the Police.

Reproduced in part by permission of the Home Office.