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With students heading back to college this fall, they may have more than moving and buying books to worry about. University of Utah campus police say theft is the number one crime on campus.
"We have these new students away from home for the first time, who think, if I leave my laptop here for a second and turn around and get a drink of water, it will still be there," said Sgt. Garth Smith from the campus police department.
Today's students have more expensive supplies to keep track of. Sgt. Smith says they can enter the serial number of their bikes, laptops or phones onto the university police website to insure that these items can be found if stolen.
"It's like I tell students in orientation," Smith said. "'How many silver Macbrook Pros were made last year? All of them. Because they only made them in one color. The only way to find the one unique to you is with the serial number.'"
Bikes are often stolen, but the new "lock it or lose it" campaign has helped those thefts decrease dramatically. Smith said that in 2010, 238 bikes were stolen on campus. After the campaign, that number decreased to only 88 bike thefts.
Marketwatch.com gives 7 good tips to prevent theft at college:
1. Leave valuables at home. Keep expensive items—especially those with nostalgic value that you can't replace—at home. Also, keep a slim wallet, taking only the items you need and leaving items, such as your Social Security card, at home.
2. Take inventory. Take pictures and create a list of what you're taking with you to school.
3. Don't leave items unattended. Studious young adults will spend plenty of time in the school's library, for example, and might be tempted to leave their belongings unattended at times. Resist the urge.
4. Keep financial documents in a safe place. Credit-card statements, phone bills—anything that has your account number, Social Security number or date of birth on it—should be kept in a safe place, such as a locked drawer. Better yet, cancel your paper statements and get them electronically.
5. Watch your financial statements. Make sure you're watching statements for any suspicious activity. It's important to report fraudulent activity as soon as possible.
6. Be careful about online information. What you put on social-media websites can be used against you. If someone has your name, address and birthday, they might be able to call and obtain information on a financial account of yours. Make sure to create strong passwords for your accounts, and lock your smartphone with a password as well.
7. Use caution when working on public computers. Don't access personal accounts on a public computer.
