SAFETY TIPS
WHILE YOU’RE AWAY
FOR BREAK
C
riminals tend to work overtime while students are
away on break. Empty homes, apartments, and
vehicles of students become very vulnerable.
Reduce your risk by:
» Always lock your vehicle doors and windows.
» Never leave a garage door opener in your car.
» Don’t leave valuables in view. Things such as:
» Wallets, purses, cameras, leather jackets, CD players, bags,
and backpacks.
» Don’t leave identification, checks, credit cards, or store receipts
in your vehicle. This puts you at risk for identity theft.
» Keep your home secured, whether you are leaving for an hour
of shopping or a week of vacation.
» Never leave an extra key beneath the mat, over the door frame,
or under a convenient rock.
If you return
home to find
your residence
has been broken
into, don’t go in,
someone may still
be inside. Go to a
neighbor’s house
and call the police.
» Don’t advertise your vacation plans. Share your vacation
information on a need to know basis.
» Try to make your home look occupied while you’re away.
AT HOME
» Set up timers to turn lamps on and off in
different rooms.
» Put a TV or radio on a timer to simulate
human voices and presence.
» Ask the postal service and newspaper to
hold your deliveries until you return.
» Ask a friend to check on your home regularly while you
are away.
» Fire Safety
» Landlords must provide working smoke detectors, but it is
the tenant’s responsibility to keep them running.
» Test your smoke detector monthly.
» Buy a fire extinguisher if not provided.
» Request extra patrols while you’re away.
» Replace frayed/cracked electrical cords; and don’t overload
extension cords.
» Create a home inventory of valuable items before you leave.
» Never tamper with the fuse box or an the improper fuse size.
WHEN YOU GO OUT
Don’t walk alone after dark
» Use the buddy system: if you are alone, call a friend to escort
or drive you home.
» Get a safe ride home
» The U of O campus offers several services to make sure
students are getting home safely.
» SafeRide: 541-346-7433 Ext 2
» Designated Drivers Shuttle (DDS): 541-346-RIDE
» Call a taxi
» Let others know where you are.
» Stick to highly visible ad high traffic places.
» Stay in open spaces.
» Make sure your doors are locked when you leave.
» Secure Yours Windows and Doors
» DO IT ALWAYS: whether you are leaving for an hour of
class or a week of vacation.
» For main entrance doors, use a dead bolt lock with at least
a one-inch throw.
» You can also find a door-jamming security bar that goes
beneath your door handle, making it very difficult to open
the door from the outside.
» If there is a window within reach of the door handle, install
a metal mesh grill over the glass.
» For sliding doors or windows, never rely only on the existing
handle locks. Anti-slide block locks plus anti-theft locks are
much more effective and offer extra security when windows
and doors are slightly open or closed.
» There are alarms to place on your windows and doors. Even
when they are super cheap, they may provide noise to deter
an unwanted prowler, and alert you when a door or window
is