All students, faculty and staff—regardless of whether you’re living on or off the University of Michigan campus—should take a proactive approach to securing their residence. After all, securing your residence is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your possessions from theft and home invasion. Why? Because these are crimes of opportunity. If you take that opportunity away, you lower your risk of becoming a target. For more information, choose a topic below.
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- Keep your windows and doors locked. One of the easiest and best ways to keep your residence secure, whether you are inside or not, is to keep the doors and windows locked—even if you are just stepping outside for a few minutes.
- Store valuables out of plain sight. Burglars may look through windows for valuables. Leaving yours in plain sight will make your residence a more obvious target.
- Get a safe. Use it to secure your most valuable possessions.
- Buy renters insurance. Renters insurance is an affordable way to ensure you can replace your furniture, electronics and other valuable possessions in the event of disaster or theft.
- Do not prop open exterior doors. Doing so allows any stranger to enter the apartment building or residence hall. This is a safety hazard for you and everyone else who lives in your building.
- Do not hold open exterior doors for people you do not know. This is called “piggy backing” and presents many of the same risks as propping open exterior doors.
- Know who is at your front door before you open it. If you have one, use the peephole. If not, just ask who is there. Do not open the door for people you do not expect or recognize.
- When you take a vacation, put a temporary hold on your mail and other deliveries. That way items will not pile up, which is an otherwise obvious sign that nobody is home.
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In addition to the general tips listed above, those living on campus should follow the guidelines set forth below.
Traditional residence halls
Residence hall access is controlled by a computerized electronic control system and is restricted to only those students who reside in the building or require access for meals or classes. All halls maintain controlled access 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Card-readers, which are located just outside each entrance, will only recognize and grant access to a properly encoded Mcard. The door will unlock and then immediately re-lock when it closes.
Safety tips:
- Keep your apartment or room door closed and locked at all times.
- Never let anyone into your building, room or apartment who you do not know.
- Know the location of your room access card and Mcard at all times. Never give them to anyone.
- Walk in groups when traveling outside the residence hall or apartment, especially at night.
- Always travel in well-lit, heavily trafficked areas. If this is not possible, utilize after hours transit services provided by U-M Logistics, Transportation and Parking.
Northwood Apartments
Northwood Apartments use individual locks with keys, which are issued to residents upon check in at the Community Center.
- Keep doors and windows locked at all times.
- Use a security bar to secure exterior sliding glass doors.
- Get acquainted with your neighbors and residence staff.
- Ask your RA to withhold delivery of fliers and newsletters when you are away for extended periods.
- Report non-working exterior lights or parking lot lights to the Community Center.
- Report suspicious behavior and solicitation to DPSS immediately.
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Whether you live on or off campus, it is important to make a list of your credit cards and other valuable personal items so that in the event of loss, theft or damage, you have the information needed to file an insurance claim or report it to the police. Create a personal property inventory spreadsheet to capture the necessary information of your property.
If your on-campus residence has been broken into or if items have been stolen while on campus, you can report it to us online. If you need an immediate response, please call us directly at (734) 763-1131.
For theft or home invasion off campus, please contact the Ann Arbor Police Department at (734) 994-2911.
The Division of Public Safety and Security offers a property registration program, which can help protect your computer, other valuable electronics and even your bike from theft.
