Editorial
Self protection key as campus theft increases
October 21, 2010
Recent increases in theft prove greed can be more powerful than respect and community. While some of us may come from small towns where we feel we can trust everybody to respect our belongings, our campus is not one of those environments.
It is our personal responsibility to protect ourselves from theft.
Students can protect themselves from theft in several ways that include keeping valuables with them at all times or locked in a secure place. Valuable items should not be left unattended in classrooms or in common areas such as student lounges or outside the Riverside Commons.
Keeping a record of the name, make, model and serial number of belongings such as bicycles, computers, phones, TVs, stereos, mp3 players, etc. can help police easily identify ownership of items if they are stolen. Citizens may also choose to register their bicycles with the River Falls Police Department for a $2 fee. Engraving belongings is also an easy way to identify personal property and also makes it harder for thieves to pawn or sell those items.
Lock car doors and entrances to living spaces. When locking up cars, make sure not to leave valuable items (GPSs, CDs, wallets, purses, etc.) in plain sight which might tempt a thief to break in. Instead, hide items in the glove-box or trunk.
Let’s face it. Stealing stuff on campus is easy.However, if students begin to look out for their own possessions and each other’s, we can reduce incidents of campus theft together.