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THEFT PREVENTION WORKSHOP

For more complete theft and other crime statistics, please visit our Annual Report.

While it may seem that Mount Holyoke College is immune from the woes of the world in general, we are not completely sealed off from the outside world. . An educated community will take simple steps (below) to prevent theft and increase the safety of our members and their belongings. More than 75% of our reported larcenies have been from unlocked rooms or areas.

Below is a break-down of this year's reported larcenies occurred and whether they were from a locked area or not.

Larcenies Reported on Campus

2007 Larcenies from Locked or Unlocked Areas

 

Important Note on Bicycle Larcenies: Over the past several years, bicycles have become a large target of theft. Many of the bicycles reported stolen were recovered from another location on campus, leading us to believe that these thefts have been done by members of our community 'borrowing' a bicycle to get to another location on campus. However, not all bicycles were found, and even when they are found, it is inconvenient for bicycle owners who lose the use of the bicycle during the time when it is missing. PLEASE LOCK YOUR BIKE EVERY TIME YOU ARE NOT USING IT. Visit our bicycle theft prevention page for more information.

HOW CAN YOU PREVENT THEFT?

 

Most larcenies occurring on a campus are "opportunity crimes" - someone sees an unattended bookbag, or finds an unlocked door or an envelope of money in an unlocked desk. To help you prevent such crime rom occurring:

1. Do not leave your property unattended. Some larcenies reported this year were from residence hall bathrooms and from areas outside dining halls.
2. Lock your room, even if you run down the hall to use the bathroom. Many larcenies from student rooms or College offices occur when the owner of the property leaves the room for just a few minutes.
3. Keep your keys in your possession at all times. Someone could make a copy of your key and return it before you may even notice it is missing.
4. If you lose your keys, check with lost and found (dial 0) and check with department offices where you may have left them. If you can not find them, arrange for a replacement. You may want to change your locks, particularly if there is identification on your keys.
5. Participate in Operation Identification: Engrave valuables with your social security number. Engravers can be borrowed from Public Safety during business office hours.
6. Consider an option other than the trunk rooms for storage of your belongings. These rooms are accessed by many people, and items have disappeared from these areas.
7. Report any suspicious people or activity to Public Safety (x2304, emergencies 1-911). Provide a detailed description of the person or activity so officers can more quickly investigate.

TRUNK ROOMS

 

Each year, the Department takes a number of reports of larcenies of items stored in residence hall trunk rooms. Items stolen include books, televisions, furniture, refrigerators and other student belongings.

 

The best option to avoid such thefts is to bring belongings home. However, if you need to store belongings locally, explore secure storage options where you are the only one with access to your belongings.

 

AUTO THEFT

 

Campuses, due to the large number of vehicles in parking lots, are susceptible to car thefts. Though Mount Holyoke College has typically had very few vehicles stolen each year, unfortunately, thefts do still occur.

 

Some hints to help protect your car are listed in our Auto Theft Prevention Workshop.

 

National Auto Theft Prevention Program Site