Student Safety Tips

By: Brian Best, Crime Prevention and Education Officer, Campus Security and Public Safety

We are a little over a month into the school year and you can still feel excitement among the students.  For some, it has been a mix of emotion as, sadly, a few have been the victim of theft or other crimes.  There have been almost 30 incidents reported since the beginning of the year regarding theft, 16 of those being bike theft.  There are many actions a student can take to protect themselves on campus and in the Logan neighborhood.  A majority of the crimes committed in this area are property crimes and include thefts, bike thefts, vehicle prowls and the occasional vehicle theft.

Bikes are stolen in high numbers at the beginning of the school year.  A lot of that has to do with bikes not being properly locked up, but it also has to do with the type of lock being used.  Campus Security recommends U-locks, which are available for purchase at the bookstore.  While on a rare occasion a u-lock gets defeated, the cables and chains used to lock up bikes are the first to get cut or broken off, leading to the theft of the bike.  Locking the bike up properly also deters the theft of parts of the bike, like a front wheel, for example.  Bikes should be locked through the frame, wheel, and the bike rack.

Other tips we suggest when talking to students include keeping vehicle interiors clear of anything attractive to a thief.  A vehicle prowler is not going to waste their time, and run the risk of getting caught, to break into a car that appears to be completely empty.  Generally, before the prowling occurs, the thief has seen something inside the vehicle they want.  One of the examples we use is the gym bag thrown in the back seat.  For the thief, they ask themselves if it is worth the risk of getting caught to look inside that gym bag which may only contain gym clothes or they may score some item of value such as Beats headphones or a wallet.

We encourage students who are walking to places nearby, to walk with a friend or stay in groups especially when headed off campus.  The occurrence of crimes committed against students in the neighborhood is very rare.   We want students to enjoy Spokane and the Logan neighborhood and everything it has to offer.  We also want to empower students with safety tips including being aware of their surroundings and having a sense of locational awareness in case they find themselves in a situation where they need to call Campus Security for services.  Campus Security also offers Self-Defense classes throughout the school year.  Your student will see the notifications coming out soon for dates and times.

For updates and general information, you can visit our website at: http://www.gonzaga.edu/Student-Development/Campus-Public-Safety-and-Security/default.asp  or by accessing the Gonzaga University website.  Our Blog site is: http://blogs.gonzaga.edu/campo and can also be accessed from the Gonzaga University website.  You can also find us on Facebook by clicking here.