Awareness & Prevention

Residence & Work Area Protection

  1. Always lock your door! Even if you are stepping out of your apartment, studio, or office for just a minute. LOCK YOUR DOOR. Nearly all residential burglaries occurring on campus involve entry through an unlocked (though often closed) door.
  2. Be wary of bringing casual acquaintances to your room or home.
  3. Take care of your keys. Don’t leave them in your “cubby” or other hiding place.
  4. Close and lock all doors and windows. Even if you leave for a few minutes. Don’t leave an open invitation to crime.
  5. Do not prop doors open. If you find a door open on campus, close it or report it to security.
  6. Write down the serial numbers of all valuables (stereos, TVs, computers) and keep the list in a safe place. These are critical to property recovery.
  7. Engrave your driver’s license number and the issuing state on all valuables, and make sure it is clearly visible. Engravers are available to borrow at the Campus Safety office at no charge.
  8. Do not engrave valuables with your Social Security number. Those numbers are federally protected, and law enforcement agencies are unable to learn an owner’s identity if property is recovered.
  9. Never leave your wallet, purse, studio equipment, art supplies, or any other valuables unattended! Practice one of the following safety practices. Lock it, hide it, or watch it.
  10. Notify Campus Safety immediately of any emergency, accident, criminal activity, suspicious person, or conditions.
  11. If your on-campus apartment has been burglarized or you suspect that something is missing, contact Campus Safety. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING! It is very important that you report all thefts, no matter how small, to Campus Safety.
  12. If you live in non-College housing, follow the same procedures, but call the Baltimore City Police Department at 911.
  13. Tips on protection in off-campus residences:
    • Have a peephole installed.
    • Do not open your door unless you know who’s on the other side. Be aware of strangers seeking help. Offer to call the police for them, but do not let them in.
    • Use only your last name and first initial on doorbells/mailboxes or in the phone book.
    • Leave lights and a radio tuned to a talk-radio station on when not at home.
    • Ask the landlord to keep shrubbery away from doors and windows.

For more information, pick up an Apartment Safety Guide pamphlet at the Campus Safety Office.