MUPD urges students to lock up possessions
Ninety percent of thefts last year were in unlocked rooms.
Published Aug. 28, 2009
The best way for students to protect themselves from larceny is to pay attention to everything they do, MU Police Department Capt. Brian Weimer said.
Missouri Uniform Crime Report showed there were three counts of burglary and 18 instances of larceny thefts last July in Columbia.
Weimer said the numbers would rise as students move back into the city and take up residence at school.
For students to keep themselves from becoming part of a statistic, it all comes down to something simple, Weimer said.
"Just lock everything up and pay attention," he said. "Don't leave your stuff around, even for a minute."
That includes instances, such as working out at the Student Recreation Complex, and also places where students might consider their possessions safe, such as their residence halls, Weimer said.
According to the MUPD Web site, 90 percent of thefts from the previous school year occurred in unlocked residential hall rooms.
"People leave their doors open in the residence halls all the time to just run out and grab something or to take a shower," Weimer said. "But the second they step out, someone can step in take all their stuff."
Freshman Nicole Maurantonio said after a week and a half on campus, she has heard from numerous upperclassmen to always keep an eye on her things.
After having a purse and iPhone stolen in high school, Maurantonio has found she's become a stickler for anti-theft precautions.
"I never carry around much cash anymore," she said. "And my backpack stays zipped at all times. The same goes for the lock on my door."
Students who keep their residence hall doors propped open at all times are automatically disregarding an extensive security system designed to help them, Weimer said.
"[Larceny] prevention is only that: prevention," Weimer said. "Students must do their own part to prevent any of their expensive and important items from being stolen."