Students on campus - crime prevention

Information

Taking the following precautions should help you avoid becoming a victim of crime while you are on campus in Ireland.

• Make sure your apartment and house doors are locked at all times. When leaving your apartment, you should check to make that all windows are locked.
• Never give your apartment keys to anyone else and never leave your keys where others could have access to them.
• Before you admit any callers to your apartment, make sure that you are satisfied with their identity - ask for identification if in doubt.
• Tell a trusted neighbour if you are going away.
• Make sure that you do not have obvious signs of a vacant apartment - e.g., curtains drawn during daylight hours.
• Make sure that all your property is marked with your own personal identification code. You should securely lock away items of value.

Personal safety

• When travelling on foot, use busy routes and well-lit walkways - avoid isolated and dark areas.
• Tell another trusted individual of your intended destination, mode of transport and expected arrival time.
• Walk facing the traffic so that vehicles cannot approach you from behind without you being aware of their presence.
• Avoid displaying obvious valuables on your person, e.g., jewellery, handbags, unless completely necessary.
• Carry only the amount of cash that you require - credit cards and bank pass books should be kept securely out of sight and not in your hip pockets.
• If you think you are being followed, go to the nearest place where there are people, even a private residence, and ring the Gardai.
• If you have been assaulted, help is available to you 24 hours a day. In any case involving sexual assault, you may feel dirty, but you should not wash, change your clothes or clean up the immediate vicinity until after you have talked to the Gardai as you may unwittingly destroy essential evidence.
• Avoid situations that will require you to travel alone at night-time. If, however, you must travel on your own, plan your journey to limit your exposure to risk of assault, robbery or theft, by scheduling your journey to coincide with bus and train times. You should use a taxi if no other transport is available.

Vehicle security

• Do not leave valuables in your vehicle, if, however, this is necessary, secure them out of sight in the boot of the vehicle.
• Never leave personal documents, e.g., driving licences and insurance certificates, in your vehicle.
• Consider having the registration number etched onto the windows of the vehicle and on valuable car components.
• When parking your vehicle, avoid isolated or darkened areas. Use a well-lit street or thoroughfare at night-time.
• Consider fitting a good quality car alarm and/or immobiliser in your vehicle. A hardened steel chain and close shackle padlock fitted to the steering wheel is a visible and effective deterrent to thieves.
• Never pick up hitchhikers.

Security for your bicycle

• When you buy a bicycle, you should insist on obtaining a receipt showing the name and address of the seller/trader, together with the make, model, colour and frame number of your machine. You should retain this receipt for future reference.
• Secure your bicycle when unattended by using a good quality-locking device.
• Leave your bicycle in a supervised area or an area where it can be seen by passers-by.
• Take a photograph of your bicycle and engrave your own personal identifying number on the frame.

Supports for victims

There are a number of support services available to victims of crime.