A majority of the crime on campus is theft of unattended property.
Lock your dorm or apartment door, even when you’re home. Lock your car. Lock your bike. Use a locker and lock when you are working out at the Rec Center. If you work in a University office, lock your purse and other valuables in a cabinet or drawer. It takes no time to lock up, even if you’re just leaving for a moment.
UAPD recommends that you not bring fine jewelry, heirlooms or expensive clothing to school. During school breaks take laptops and other valuables home with you. Anyone could be a thief, so be sure to take precautions.
BOOKBAG AND TEXTBOOK THEFTS
Theft of backpacks and textbooks is surprisingly common due to the resale value of textbooks. Never leave your property unattended in a library, dining hall, classroom, recreation facility or restroom. Take your things with you or have a friend watch them. Make sure that you have clearly marked your property so that you can identify it as being yours.
SMARTPHONES AND LAPTOPS
Never leave your smartphone. tablet or laptop unattended. It is also wise to require a password or encryption process to protect the data on your smartphone, tablet or laptop.
CREDIT/ DEBIT CARDS/ ACTION CARDS
Don’t carry a lot of credit/debit cards in your wallet or purse. Carry just one or two and leave the others in a secure place at home. If your credit/debit cards are stolen, know what cards you had and the phone numbers to call to immediately cancel the cards and report them as stolen. Usually, a thief will use your stolen cards in less than an hour. Don’t forget to check your statement every month to make sure there are no unauthorized charges. If you have a physical Action Card, protect it like you would protect one of your credit cards.
BICYCLE THEFT
Bicycles are stolen each year in Tuscaloosa and around the UA campus, and most are never recovered. The following measures can help protect your bicycle:
- Register your bicycle with the University.
- Secure your bike properly. Thieves don’t merely steal whole bikes; often they’ll take the front tire from one bike and the rest from another.
- Place your front tire over the top rail of the rack, letting the body of the bicycle rest on top.
- Secure your front tire and frame to the rack.
- Lock your rear tire to the bike frame with another locking device.
- If it’s easily removable, take your seat with you.
- Engrave all parts of your bike — handlebars, seat, both wheels, frame — with identifying letters or numbers.
IDENTITY THEFT
Theft of documents can be the first step in an identity theft crime. Keep documents with personal information secured at all times. Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet; keep it in a safe place. When discarding unwanted mail, shred sensitive or personal information with a shredder or by hand. Make sure you are on the national “do not call” list. Adopt a “need to know” attitude about personal data. Your credit card company may need to know your mother’s maiden name so that it can verify your identity when you call to inquire about your account. A person who calls you and says he’s from your bank or credit card company doesn’t need to know that information if it’s already on file with your bank. Make callers give you what information they have on file.
If you still don’t feel comfortable, get the caller’s name and return the call to a phone number you know is associated with the valid company. The more information printed on your personal bank checks, such as your Social Security number or driver’s license number, the more personal data you are routinely handing out. Check your monthly financial statements carefully to find out if someone has made unauthorized debits or charges against your accounts. Periodically ask for a copy of your credit report. Make sure all active accounts were actually opened by you.
Email schemes called “phishing,” attempt to trick you into disclosing sensitive information. The email appears to come from companies with whom you may regularly do business (e.g., Paypal, eBay, a financial institution or a credit card company). Many of these email schemes contain links to look-a-like websites loaded with actual trademarked images. The sender asks you to confirm your personal information for some made-up reason: your account is about to be closed, or your information has been lost because of a computer problem. The sender instructs you to “re-enter” credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, bank PINs or other personal information. If you actually provide the information requested, the data goes to scammers. This data is often used to order goods or services or to obtain a credit card in your name.
For more information on cybersecurity visit the Office of Information Technology website.
VEHICLE CRIMES
Each year thieves break into vehicles and steal purses, sports equipment, clothing, smartphones, laptops, stereo equipment, etc. To reduce the risk of theft from your vehicle:
- Keep valuable items out of sight.
- Engrave your name on all items that might interest a thief.
- Check the area for any suspicious activity (e.g., someone loitering nearby), and report any such activity to the police.
- If you have an item with a serial number, record and keep the number in a safe place.
- Remove your stereo faceplate if it is made to do so.
- Lock your doors and roll up your windows.
- Never leave your vehicle running unattended.
COMMUNITY-ORIENTED POLICING (COP)
UAPD currently provides officers and supervisors to the Community-Oriented Policing (COP) program. COP is a philosophy of full-service, personalized policing where the same officer is assigned to a specific geographical area on a regular basis, working in a proactive partnership with citizens to identify and solve problems. The focus of COP is not simply on responding to crime, but on preventing crime and resolving problems. The philosophy rests on the belief that the police and the community must work together as partners to solve the challenges faced in today’s society.
OPERATION ID
Marking your valuables brings the best chance for recovering them, and it’s a proven way to discourage theft. Operation ID makes it easy. Through this UAPD program, easy-to-use electric engravers are loaned to students. Engrave an identifier on all items that might interest a thief such as a stereo, bike, laptop, smartphone, refrigerator, etc. Engravers may be checked out at UAPD between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The loan period is 24 hours. You will need your Action Card. For more information, call UAPD Community Services Division at 205-348-8361. With a permanent marker, put your name and address on the inside cover of your textbooks, and put your initials (or other marks you’d recognize) on one or more of the pages.