Miami police say most are crimes of opportunity

November 16, 2006

All it takes for a thief sometimes is a little temptation. Don’t provide for easy pickings.

Pay attention to your surroundings and follow crime prevention tips – such as always lock your car and keep valuables out of plain sight – and you’ll be following the best recipe for safety, according to the Miami University Police Department.

The university continues to explore ways to increase and improve the security posture on its regional campuses as well as the Oxford campus, as part of a university-wide initiative, Miami Police Lt. Andrew Powers said.

Powers visits the Hamilton campus for at least a half-day every week, and he wants people to know that, although he’s in uniform, he’s approachable any time to talk about crime, safety and security.

“I don’t want people to be afraid to stop me for a chat just because I’m in uniform. I’m here to help,” Powers said.

Incidents on the Hamilton campus are mainly crimes of opportunity involving theft due to equipment or belongings being left unattended or in unlocked vehicles.

“You can’t leave your iPOD, CDs, camera or cell phone in plain view in your unlocked car in the parking lot. Thefts resulting from forced break-ins are rare. The university is trying to raise awareness and educate our campus community to reduce the chances of people becoming victims of crime,” Powers said.

According to Chris Connell, Senior Director of Administration at Miami Hamilton, the initiative is not due to a rash of crimes, but rather “the diligence of our campus in constantly looking for ways to improve security and continue to ensure the safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors.”

A committee is looking critically at campus security and will make recommendations for improvement, Connell said.

Powers said the goal is to be proactive and address concerns before they become a problem and somebody becomes a crime victim. People with concerns about unsafe situations should not hesitate to bring them to the attention of campus security personnel, he said.

“The reality of this world is that we, as individuals, have to do certain things to reduce our chances of being victimized. Hide things in your car and lock it. It’s simply a matter of not making yourself attractive to a thief,” Powers said.

“Don’t leave your book bag on the seat of a chair as a placeholder while you’re waiting in the lunch line. And don’t leave your laptop computer in the library because you don’t want to shut it down while you go to the bathroom, only to return and it’s gone,” he said.

For more crime prevention tips, check out www.muohio.edu/police. These tips are useful at home and about town, not just on campus.

“We want our students, faculty and staff to be safe 24-7s,” Connell said.