Police warn students to take valuables home over winter break

By Josh Holderbaum
Western Herald

As students look forward to winter break, police want them to also prepare themselves to avoid break-ins.

Lots of students heading back home for break means lots of valuables left in dorms and apartments waiting to be stolen, Deputy Chief Blaine Kalafut, Western Michigan University Department of Public Safety, said.

“We’ve got a longer break this year, from two weeks up to three weeks, and the bad guys know that as well,” Kalafut said.

Students should consider bringing anything valuable with them if they leave to go back home, including computers and video game systems, Kalafut said.

“I know a big sound system might be impossible to take apart, but students should take everything of value,” Kalafut said.

The apartment or dorm’s blinds should also be pulled to prevent outsiders from looking in and sliding windows should be braced with a stick, Kalafut said.

While the dorms see few break-ins during the holidays, apartment complexes in the area are usually hit hard, Kalafut said.

Junior Chelsea Morgan knows what this scenario feels like.

Morgan, who lives in the student ghetto on Wheaton Street, had her apartment robbed over Thanksgiving break.

“My roommate called me that Saturday,” Morgan said. “When she came home, our door had been kicked in. Our TV was stolen along with some electronics and DVDs. We’re still discovering what some of the little things they took were.”

Morgan’s next door neighbors were also robbed that weekend.

To Morgan’s surprise, the thieves didn’t take everything they could have.

“It’s still weird,” Morgan said. “They didn’t take a lot of stuff in plain sight. It’s a funny thing, because they were really picky about what DVDs they took. I guess they were just super picky about what they wanted.”

Still, Morgan doesn’t want students to leave themselves open.

“Take your valuables with you for Christmas,” Morgan said. “It may be a hassle, but it’s always a possibility something will get stolen. Don’t leave your stuff there, just like you wouldn’t leave your key under your mat.”

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Dec 15 2009. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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