Personal Property Protection in the Residence Halls

Members of the University community are vulnerable to the same crimes that are encountered by residents of any metropolitan area. Theft of personal property is a recurrent problem on the University of Michigan campus, as it is on most campuses around the country.

Even with a security staff as good as ours, it is difficult to ensure that everyone entering a residence hall has a right to be there. You can help. Don’t make yourself and your fellow residents easy targets for theft by allowing strangers access to rooms or buildings through unlocked or propped open doors or by letting them tailgate into the building behind you as you enter.

Follow these steps to protect your property and that of others, and to make it easier to recover property that is stolen:

Insurance
University Housing and the University assume no liability for loss or theft of, or damage to, personal property. We recommend that you ascertain in advance if your possessions are covered by your parents’ or guardian’s insurance while you are on campus. Some homeowner’s insurance policies have riders that allow coverage of personal possessions away from the insured home; others do not. If your property is not already covered by insurance, we strongly encourage you to obtain coverage for the time you are living in the residence halls. There are various insurance agencies in Ann Arbor that offer relatively low-cost renter’s insurance. A list is available from the Housing Information Office.

Personal Property Inventory
Record your insurance coverage, credit cards and valuable personal items on a simple Personal Property Inventory form. If something is lost, stolen or destroyed while on campus, you’ll have the necessary information for police and/or an insurance claim. Complete your Personal Property Inventory form before you come to campus and keep it up-to-date while you are living here, including adding new items. These cards should always be kept in a secured location, only accessible by you or someone you trust with your personal information, such as a parent.

Close your self-locking door whenever you are not in the room
This is probably the single most important thing you can do to protect your own property. Unfortunately, some residents have had property stolen from their rooms when they had propped open the door because they were going out for “just a couple of minutes.”

If you live in a room with a traditional lock and key door, always lock the door when you are not in the room.

Close and lock your windows before you leave your room unoccupied.

Do not lend your room or apartment key/keycard or your ID card to anyone
It is a violation of your contract and of University policy to duplicate any University-provided key, keycard or ID card (Mcard).

Close your self-locking door before going to sleep
All room doors have chain locks and peepholes. Use them! They ensure that only people you want to enter your room do so.

If you live in a room with a traditional lock and key door, always lock the door before going to sleep.

Do not prop open outside residence hall doors
All exterior residence hall doors are locked 24 hours a day. Do not prop open any such door. What you do for your own personal convenience may compromise your safety, and that of all your fellow hall residents.

There are campus phones outside at least one entrance of every hall. Have your visitors call you from there so that you can let them into the building.

Question strangers in your residence halls
Do not hesitate to ask strangers whom they are visiting, or if you can help them find something. Unescorted strangers in the hall without a legitimate reason should be asked to leave. Alert staff to the presence of any suspicious individuals. Public Safety can be contacted to escort any uninvited persons from the premises. No salespeople are allowed to go door to door in the residence hall. If you are approached by a salesperson, please notify Security and/or your front desk. Representatives of non-profit organizations and candidates for political office must obtain prior written approval to go door to door in the halls, and must carry their signed authorization with them.

If you have any doubt as to the legitimacy of individuals you see in campus housing, call the Department of Public Safety at 763-1131 and alert them to a potential intruder.

Operation Identification
Engrave an ID number (e.g., your driver’s license number) or other identifying mark on your property, such as a TV or stereo. You can borrow an engraver from your front desk. This identification can serve as proof of ownership to police and insurance companies.

Limit valuables in your room or apartment
Keep expensive belongings in the residence hall to a minimum. Leave your expensive jewelry, etc. at your permanent address (or elsewhere off-campus). If you must keep valuables in your room, consider using a small room safe.

Do not leave tickets to UM sports events in plain view. They are not refundable in the event of loss or theft. When you leave your room during breaks, take your small valuables home with you, or rent a safe-deposit box for them at a local bank.

Also limit the amount of cash you carry in your purse or wallet.

Bicycle Security
Bicycle theft is one of the most common crimes on campus. Secure your bicycle through the frame and front tire with a strong lock, preferably the U-lock kind. Do not leave your bike unattended and unlocked, even for a short period of time. Use only sites designated for bikes; do not lock your bikes to trees or parking meters, or in other unauthorized places. University Security may ticket or confiscate bikes that are parked or secured in unauthorized areas.

Each summer, bicycle racks are cleared of abandoned bicycles or bicycle parts. Bicycles impounded by the University will be processed according to state law, after which the University will dispose of them.

You can register your bike for a nominal fee (for as long as you own it) at the Ann Arbor City Clerk’s office at City Hall, 100 North Fifth Avenue (734-994-2725). Be sure to bring the serial number. Or, you can register your bike for free with the Department of Public Safety (DPS) on one designated day per year (contact DPS at 763-3434 for the exact date). You will need your UM ID (Mcard), a valid driver’s license or other personal ID, and, of course, your bike. Registering your bicycle can help the police identify it if it is stolen and then found, and increases the chances of it being returned to you.

Report all thefts or losses immediately
If you believe something of yours has been stolen, report the loss as soon as you become aware of it to the Department of Public Safety at 763-1131.

Don’t wait until you experience a loss of personal property to take these recommended steps seriously. It is very discouraging to see students lose valuable possessions because simple precautions were not taken. Please do what you can to help prevent thefts in your residence hall and elsewhere on campus. You’ll be making it a safer and more pleasant environment for everyone.

Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Housing Security

• Emergency: 911
• Non-Emergency Officer Response: 763-1131
• Housing Security General Info: 764-6185
• Public Safety General Info: 763-3434

For more information, see Safety and Security.

Revised 8/05