Securing Your Residence

• Keep your windows and doors locked. One of the easiest and best ways to keep your residence secure, whether inside or not, is to lock the doors and windows—even if you are just stepping outside for a few minutes.
• Store valuables out of plain sight. Burglars may look through windows for valuables, and 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 is a safety hazard for you and everyone living in your building, and it allows any stranger to enter the apartment building or residence hall.
• Do not hold open exterior doors for people you do not know. Some people call this “piggybacking,” which 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, temporarily hold your mail and other deliveries. That way, items will not pile up, an otherwise obvious sign that nobody is home.

A computerized electronic control system controls residence hall access and restricts it 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, 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 whom 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 impossible, utilize after-hours transit services provided by U-M Logistics, Transportation and Parking.

Northwood Apartments uses individual locks with keys issued to residents upon check-in at the Community Center.

Safety tips:

• Keep doors and windows locked at all times.
• Use a security bar to secure exterior sliding glass doors.
• Get acquainted with your neighbors and the 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.

Whether you live on or off campus, it is essential 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 about your property.