“If my laptop got stolen, I don’t even know what I would do,” I thought to myself one Wednesday in the Galley while my friend told me how hers was stolen from her apartment. As I walked home that afternoon, I thought, “I should back up my stuff this weekend. You never know.”
Then, that Friday—like the universe had been trying to tell me something earlier that week—my beloved old Macbook was stolen right out from under my nose during my Amish & Other PA Dutch lecture in McComsey Hall. I’m still uncertain exactly how it was stolen, but that’s a story for another time. What I am certain of is that my laptop was gone, along with all of my music and most of my pictures and past schoolwork.
I frantically searched McComsey, went to the Help Desk and called Apple. My efforts were futile. Under the instruction of Apple, I sped over to the Lebanon House to file a report with the MUPD. While there, I was told that the MUPD investigates many thefts like mine.
I thought Millersville was safe! We’re technically a rural campus. There’s rarely trouble here. The good news is that Millersville is a safe campus. A look at the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security Data shows that not only does Millersville have very few incidences of crime overall, but the occurrence of reported robbery and burglary on campus declined last year.
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But even if our school is safe, you should always watch your own back! Especially since you’re probably returning to campus with plenty of Christmas money and fancy new iPads and Kindles, here are some tips for keeping yourself safe from theft on campus.
Lock your dorm room or apartment. This should go without saying. Always lock your door if you’re not in your room or apartment.
Don’t leave your purse or backpack unattended. Another tip that should go without saying. Even if it’s next to you, someone stealthy could pull something out of it (trust me, I know from experience). Be careful! Keep your belongings in your sight at all times.
Get a laptop lock! My mom was paranoid when I first came to college, and forced me to buy a laptop lock. I thought it was stupid at first, but it was a real lifesaver! Laptop looks are similar to bike locks, you just hook it to something sturdy. They’re great for your dorm room so you don’t have to worry about someone slipping in and taking your computer if you door is left unlocked, and even better if you’re taking your laptop with to you class or the library, in case you have to get up and go to the bathroom and don’t want to pack all of your stuff up.
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Don’t write about your whereabouts on Facebook or on the whiteboard on your door. We hear all the time how dangerous it is to give personal information to strangers, but it’s even dangerous to disclose your whereabouts to people you know. Posting a status saying that you and your roommates won’t be in Brookwood this weekend, or writing a note on the whiteboard on your door saying you’re going home for the night might give someone the idea that you’ll be gone and it will be easier for them to break in.
Avoid keeping large sums of cash in your room. Cash is basically impossible to trace—once it’s gone, it’s gone. There are so many ways to have access to money without keeping a lot of cash on you, utilize them! If you don’t already have a checking account and debit card, you can sign up for PSECU. You can also put money on Marauder Gold to use around campus and a few places within the community.
Write down the make, model, and serial numbers of your stuff. If all else fails and you do fall victim to theft, having this information will help so much! I wasn’t smart enough to follow this step, but luckily I still had the original box my Macbook came in, so the information was on there. This is also really important if you’re going to file an insurance claim!
In the end, my situation turned out okay. I got a new laptop and lived happily ever after. But the moral of the story is be careful with your belongings! You can definitely prevent theft if you take a few simple measures. Stay safe! And a shout out to whoever did steal my laptop last semester… hope you’re enjoying all of the old essays and research reports on my four year old Macbook, you really hit the jackpot.
Sources:
http://ope.ed.gov