In addition to our basic safety guidelines, if you choose to live off-campus, there are a few additional actions you can take to ensure the safety of yourself, your residence, and your possessions.
- As always, make sure your door is locked when you leave – even it’s just for a few minutes. But also make sure the door is locked when you’re inside your apartment, especially if you’ll be upstairs or sleeping. Many times, a thief will enter an unlocked residence to find that he/she has free reign on the bottom floor of the house, because all of its residents are on the second floor.
- Be sure all outdoor lighting features on your apartment are working. If they malfunction, notify your landlord right away.
- Place valuable items out of sight and preferably in locked areas. A laptop, a PS5, or an iPhone are easy targets for potential theives.
- Determine who is on the other side of the door before opening it.
- Hang curtains or blinds on your windows to discourage window peepers.
- Report any suspicious activities to the Syracuse Police Department by calling 911.
Another helpful resource for students living off-campus is the Office of Off-Campus and Commuter Services. Their website lists some additional safety guidelines, including:
- Be aware of your surroundings. Many crimes occur literally “under the nose” of people who just did not notice anything suspicious.
- Safety and security are everyone’s responsibility. You can reduce the possibility of becoming a crime statistic by being alert to your environment.
- Your safety and security ultimately depend on you as an individual for effectiveness and success. You must take responsibility for your own safety.
- Report non-working city street lights by calling 315.448.CITY. You will need the pole number, located approximately 7ft from the bottom of the pole.
- If you return home and find an open/broken window or door, do not enter! Go elsewhere to call the police. Do not clean a burglary scene before the police arrive.