Reducing the Odds of Campus Crime Published July 30, 2014 By Sandra Jackson Staff Writer TMF Fall 2014 -- As part of Air Mobility Command, you live and breathe safety on the job. But going back to school, particularly when attending classes at a nearby college or university campus, brings a different set of safety considerations. Even if you are not a full-time student living on campus, basic rules of safety apply when you head off to your class or to the library. It's easy to let your guard down when walking around a seemingly safe school environment. Every campus has security, but the secret to being safe on campus is taking preventative steps to reduce the odds that you will be a victim of a campus crime. Keep an eye on your personal belongings. Campus thieves are fast and often opportunistic, taking advantage of that few seconds when you walk away from your laptop to go into the library stacks, or to grab that wallet you only put down for a second. Never leave electronic devices unattended in the cafeteria, library, or anywhere they might be stolen. Lock any valuables you don't need for your class in your vehicle or locker; even better, leave them at home. Even items like prescription medications, jewelry, cash, electronic access keycards or security fobs, or passports or other pieces of personal identification can tempt campus thieves. Be aware of your surroundings on campus and off. School campuses may look safe and orderly, but students get robbed or attacked every day on campuses across the country. Notice others around you. Notice potential hiding places like corners, doorways, alleys, or backs of buildings. This caution should extend beyond the campus gates as well. Be alert when using ATMs or when walking in parking lots. Lock your vehicle, and make sure it is in good running order. If using public transportation, including campus shuttles, use your street sense. Watch what you say or do online. Use caution when using public computers or Wi-Fi. Don't give thieves the opportunity to steal your information by conducting personal or job-related business on public computers in libraries or over coffee shop or library Wi-Fi connections. Also, be careful how much you share on campus and other social media sites, and never post personal or work-related information that should not be shared outside the workplace. Identification theft often stems from someone gaining access to information on a victim's computer, so make sure your devices have current antivirus protection. If you see something, say something. If a situation seems questionable, contact campus security or dial 911. By taking action, you can prevent a crime from being committed. Make sure campus security knows about the situation. Many campuses now have extensive video surveillance systems as part of their security measures; the criminal may have been caught in the act on camera. Get school security alerts. Sign up for campus alerts if your school provides them. Learn what your campus does in the case of an emergency--fire, flood, bad weather, lockdowns, or evacuations. Let loved ones know what is going on if you find yourself in a campus emergency situation. Leave the questionable things at home. And learn your school's weapons policy before you bring firearms or other weapons on campus. Getting caught with them on campus can mean facing civil penalties and school disciplinary policies, too. In other words, you could be arrested and expelled at the same time. Safeguard your health. Pace yourself, particularly if you work full-time or have family obligations while you are a student. Fatigue can affect both your job and your classwork. Learn to manage your time for study, work, family, and even your commute to school. Find out about crime rates on your campus. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (or Clery Act, for short) is named after a Lehigh University freshman who was raped and murdered on her campus. It is a federal statute that requires all colleges and universities that participate in federal financial aid programs to keep and disclose information about crime on and near their respective campuses. The published annual reports, containing three years of crime statistics, must be made available to all students and employees. Compliance is monitored by the United States Department of Education. For crime statistics on your campus, check the institution's website or ask the Admission Department.