As part of the Sheffield Safer Communities Partnership, the University of Sheffield is working with police, council, Sheffield Homes and Hallam University to highlight the risks of leaving valuables on display with a student burglary awareness campaign.
The `Like it? Lock it, Keep it´ campaign launched this week will promote important safety messages to students in the city using text messages, leaflets and information stalls.
Poster messages in buses and at bus stops are also being displayed on popular student routes courtesy of local bus operator First South Yorkshire and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive. Advice given out to students during the campaign includes:
Always lock external doors (front and back) even when you´re in the process of moving premises
Lock your room, no matter how short a time you are leaving it for
Don´t leave ground floor windows open when you´re not in the room
Don´t leave valuables on display
If there´s a burglar alarm, use it!
What they say
Mark Willoughby, President of the University of Sheffield´s Union of Students, said: "I am delighted to be supporting this campaign which demonstrates an effective partnership between the two universities and their unions, South Yorkshire Police and Sheffield Safer Communities. The campaign seeks to encourage students to take much greater care of their possessions to stop the rise in crime. The steps we can take to counteract these incidents can be so simple yet so effective. At all times we need students of Sheffield to recognise that if we Like It we need to Lock It to Keep It."
Sarah Banks, Head of Safer Communities for Sheffield City Council, said: "Sheffield benefits from a strong partnership which is dedicated to keeping Sheffield´s students safe. Whether living in halls, the student village or in a residential area we need students to be vigilant with keeping their valuables and properties secure."
And Inspector Gary West, from the Broomhill Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: "The majority of offenders sneak into properties through insecure doors and windows and take valuables, with laptops being one of the main targets for burglars. We urge all students to be more safety conscious and make sure that all windows and doors are locked, especially when leaving their properties." Sarah McQueen, President of Sheffield Hallam University Students´ Union, said: "Young people are three times more likely to be victims of burglary so it is especially important that our students follow the campaign’s simple advice to protect their homes. By taking a few straight forward precautions students can save themselves a lot of expense and heartache."
