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Students: How to keep safe and secure

Students: how to stay safe and secure

Students are, statistically, one of the most likely groups to fall victim to crime. Read our simple tips and stay safe.

Students own more expensive consumer goods per head than the rest of the population. It is no surprise then that 1 in 3 students becomes the victim of a crime each year. Added to that fact, 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, which makes students all the more vulnerable.

What to look out for
Crimes mostly affecting students are:

mugging
vehicle-related theft
burglary

But by taking a few simple precautions, you can help to make sure you don't become a victim.

Top safety tips
Don't be a statistic. Staying safe is all about following a few common-sense guidelines. Read the following tips, which could make all the difference:

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 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
robbers are 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
keep cards and chequebooks separately - note down your card details so you can cancel them quickly
always lock your car and put valuables out of sight - never leave the keys in the ignition even when paying for petrol
after a night out, arrange to go home with friends, or in a taxi
to prevent spiking, don't leave drinks unattended
be vigilant when using your mobile phone - if your phone is stolen, call your network or 08701 123 123 to immobilise 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
mark your property with the initials of your university (e.g. NU - Nottingham University) 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