Crimes & Incident Responses

Avoiding Car Breakins

• Park in well-lit, well-traveled areas.
• Always lock your car and close your windows.
• Notify Public Safety of any suspicious activity.
• Conceal purchases and personal belongings.
• Lock valuables in your trunk before you arrive at your destination.

Preventing Bicycle Thefts

The University of Rochester Public Safety Department wants to make sure that your bicycle is safe and secure, while you are on one of our many properties. In order to help assure that this happens, we have provided a list of safety tips and suggestions to assist you.

Following these simple tips will help to greatly reduce the likelihood of your bicycle “riding off” without you.

• First things first, make sure your bike is securely locked. This is best done with a high quality lock, such as a U-lock. Avoid cable or chain locks, as they can be cut/broken very easily.
• For added protection, you can combine a U-lock with a cable lock, or even another U-lock. The longer it will take for a thief to steal your bike, the less likely they will be to do it.
• Make sure that your lock is the correct size for your bike. Locks with a lot of extra room will give thieves an advantage, as it provides more room for them to get their tools into a position to break the lock.
• Lock your bike in an area that is well-lit. Many thieves operate best by the cover of darkness; don’t give them the upper hand.
• Make sure that there is a bike rack in the area, which can be used to secure the bicycle to. Beware of locking your bike to objects that can be easily removed, cut, or broken. In addition, never lock your bike to itself, as a thief will just pick up your whole bike and take off with it.
• When locking up your bike, preferably with a U-lock, make sure that the keyway end is facing the ground. Doing so will prevent a thief from having easy access to the lock.
• Always secure your components and accessories, like seats and quick release wheels, as these can be easily removed.

**Please remember that bikes are not to be parked or stored blocking entrances or exits, pedestrian walkways, in stairwells, hallways, public areas in university buildings.

Any questions about purchasing a high quality bike lock can be directed to a qualified professional from one of many bike shops/stores in the area. Be sure to ask them for a demo before you buy, so you can make sure that you get the most out of your lock.

Be safe, and enjoy the ride!

Cell Phone Safety

Due to their growing popularity, cell phones are fast becoming a favorite target of thieves.

To reduce your chances of becoming the victim of a cell phone theft, the Rochester Police Department offers you the following safety tips:

• Always be aware of your surroundings. Thieves may be watching you.
• Use your cell phone security lock.
• Avoid becoming distracted by your cell phone conversation when walking on the street.
• Keep your cell phone out of sight. Don't hang it from your purse of jacket.
• Switch the ringer off to avoid attracting the attention of thieves.
• Never loan your cell phone to a stranger. In case of an emergency, offer to make the call for them.
• Consider using hands-free technology.
• If your phone is lost or stolen, report the loss immediately to your cell phone service provider and the police.
• Activate the GPS tracking device on your cell phone and other electronic devices. If your device is not equipped with GPS tracking, after-market applications are available.

School Breaks/Vacations

Leaving on a break can provide you with some much needed rest and relaxation. Don’t let this feeling get ruined by coming back to discover that you have been the victim of a theft or break-in. Following the below steps will help reduce the risk of your prized possessions growing legs and walking off!

• Any smaller items should be taken with you when you leave for breaks, if possible. If you have to leave items behind, make sure you record certain information about those items. Record the serial number, model, make, price, and date of purchase. Having some pictures of the items can also help to identify these items, should they ever be stolen.
• Keep your irreplaceable possessions at home. You shouldn’t bring anything back from break that you can’t afford to live without.
• If you do have valuables in your dorm room, it is recommended that you purchase a sturdy trunk or safe to keep them in.
• The last person to leave the room or common area should do a double check. Make sure that all windows and doors are locked. Put away or cover up any items that are in plain view, and can’t go with you, i.e. gaming systems, T.V.s, etc.
• Avoid posting your break/vacation plans on social media sites. Posting your plans on twitter, FB, etc., is like sending an open invitation to a thief. Save the posts and pictures for when you get back from your trip. Also, avoid leaving notes or voice messages stating that you will be away.
• If you’re leaving a car behind, make sure that the car is parked in a well-lit area. Remove all of the valuables from the vehicle, such as GPS units, MP3 players, money, etc. If you have a friend who isn’t leaving on break, ask them if they will keep an eye on your car while you’re away.
• When returning from a break/vacation, be sure to check the exterior of your room/apartment. Look for broken windows, damaged doors, or other signs of foul play. Listen to your gut, if something seems off, back away and call public safety to check the area.

On Campus Safety

Living safely in the residence halls requires paying attention to a few important points:

• Keep your doors and lower level windows locked when you are gone, even if you only leave for a few minutes.
• Have your keys ready as you approach your residence.
• If someone knocks, find out who it is before you answer.
• Draw the shades after dark.
• Don’t leave any valuables in places where they may be visible from the outside of your residence.
• Don’t advertise your absence with a note.
• Don’t attach your name or address to your keys.
• If your keys or ID card are lost or stolen, contact Residential Life right away to prevent misuse. After hours, call Public Safety at 585-275-3333.
• Sleep with your bedroom door closed and locked. It affords additiona
• security and safety in case of a fire.
• Lock your exterior doors.
• Report defective locks, card readers, or burnt-out lights to the Facilities Customer Service Center, 585-273-4567.

Off Campus Living

While many students choose to live on campus, there are many others that choose to live off campus. Living off campus has some benefits, but it doesn’t come without some concerns as well. Whether you live by yourself, or with a few roommates, safety is extremely important. Following the below tips will help us to keep you safer.

• First things first, make sure that they keys are changed when you move in. Changing the locks will ensure that no other keys, to your house, are floating around out there. Make sure that all exterior doors have deadbolts. If the home doesn’t have deadbolts, contact your landlord and see if they can be installed.
• Make sure that your windows are free from cracks and damage. If any window is damaged, have your landlord fix it ASAP. Also, make sure all of the windows have properly working locks.
• The home should have both smoke detectors and CO detectors. The detectors should be working properly, and should be located in each room.
• It is a good idea to know if there are any emergency phones on the property, or where the closest blue light phones are located.
• Familiarize yourself with your neighborhood. This means knowing what buildings, businesses, etc. are open at different hours of the day. Knowing thin information will make it easier to find help, should you ever be in a position to need it.
• Do not hide a spare key outside of your home.
• Take roads, paths, and walkways that are well lit.
• Never open doors for strangers. Use windows and peep holes to identify people prior to letting them in your home.
• Keep bushes and hedges trimmed down. Bushes and hedges, that block a window or door, can provide a criminal with the cover they need to break in.

Scams

Phishing is an Internet scam where scam artists send official-looking emails to people, attempting to fool them into disclosing their personal information. They can pretend to be from a legitimate bank, organization, government agency or store, or claim to be the host of a lottery or contest. Some even imitate the University Helpdesk. They try to get victims to reveal personal information such as user names and passwords, banking records or account numbers, or social security numbers by replying to the email or entering it on a phony web site. Phishing is dangerous because it can easily result in credit card fraud or identity theft.

• Be on the lookout for suspicious emails. Legitimate, responsible companies will never solicit personal information over email. Never reveal personal or financial information in a response to an email request, no matter who appears to have sent it.
• Don’t click on links or attachments contained in emails. Instead, visit the mentioned web site directly by using a search engine to locate the real site. If the web address found through the search engine and the address in the email do not match up, the email is most likely a phishing attempt or spam and should be deleted.
• Set up a spam filter. A spam filter can greatly reduce the amount of phishing emails you receive. The University offers a free spam management system.
• If you are still tempted to click, pick up the phone instead. If the message looks real and you are really tempted to respond, instead look up the phone number of the company and call them. Do not use any phone number in the email as it could be fake. Ask if the message was actually sent by the company and if you can take care of any issues over the phone instead.