Do college dorms get broken into a lot?

Question

like how safe is it to have like ur laptop (or sumthin like that) left in ur dorm while u or ur roomie is out? does stuff get stolen a lot from dorms?

Answer 1

Being just outta college and having worked for the admissions office for a few years calling potential students I feel liek i have a good answer for you. First off, a dorm room will be as safe as you leave it. Lock your door when no one is inside, or when your roomie is sleepiung. Also, get to know the people around you in your hall, you'll make friends, somem life-long, and you'll likely be able to trust them to not steal your things; they'll also be able to notice when something is not right with your room. As far as things such as laptops, make them unique, add stickers or write your name in an inconspicuous spot so it can be identified if it is stooen. Most importantly take down serial numvers and descriptions of the expensicve things you don't want stolen. You'll most likely have to worry about theives that live in your same hall because most dorms on most campuses have locks on the external doors that close at such and such a time and non-residents can't get in without a resident ID or special key.

Answer 2

Most dorms have locks on all outside doors that only the people living in the dorn have access to. Some have doors that are open to anyone during the day but lock at night. Then your individual room will have a door that also locks and that only you and your roomie have a key to. When I lived in the dorms, I only heard of one robbery in 3 years and the person that did it was someone who lived in that dorm. The person she robbed was supposedly her best friend too.
I think as long as you are careful - don't make a lot of noise on your way out about how long you're going out for etc, keep your laptop stashed under your pillow or bed while you're out, maybe even in a laptop case with a padlock on it - you should be alright. It's the same as living in your own apartment. Be a little bit cautious and you can avoid drawing attention.

Answer 3

College dorms are easier than many places to break into simply because you will have Murphy, as in Murphy's Law, for a roommate.

Murphy will invite over people you don't trust.
Murphy will leave the door unlocked, or even propped open.
Murphy will borrow your stuff and forget to return it.

If you want to keep your stuff safe:
1) Live in a key-code access dorm (what they call a double-lock, so that separate security requirements are needed to get in the front door, and then into your room), if available.
2) Live on a third floor or higher - prevents people from climbing in.
3) Keep your valuables to a minimum. If you have a debit card, keep it tied to a low-balance account. You can request that your bank set up two different accounts, one that is higher balance but can be accessed only by phone and is password-protected, the other has your debit card link but can only hold $150 in it at a time. You replenish the smaller account as you need.
4) Keep your valuables out of sight. The worst place to put your book of 144 CDs is on the dresser by the door. It's better to put it under your bed or behind something, or better still to leave all your CDs at home and bring the burned copies.
5) If you have a laptop, buy a lock and lock it to your desk. These can be foiled but take a LOT of time to do. Better yet, if your campus is safe, carry it with you and don't let your backpack out of your site.
6) NEVER store anything of value in your car.
7) Make sure your rentors' insurance (or parents' homeowners insurance) covers theft from your dorm room.

Best of luck in your studies.

Answer 4

I don't know about the statistics, but I will say this: a dorm ROOM is broken into far more often than a dorm. That is to say, it is an inside job most of the time. It may not be a fellow student (or it might even be your own roommate, or someone visiting her), but it is fairly easy for a visitor to be a thief. Especially in the daytime, dorms are simply open, and thieves can just walk in, pretending to be visiting one of the students.

You should have your laptop with you most of the time. If you need to leave it in the dorm, put it way in the back of the closet or under the bed, where someone walking in won't see it quickly. There is enough traffic in the hallways that a thief is going to want to hurry.

But you might also consider whether your most valuable possessions are covered on your parents' insurance policy.

Answer 5

Well, to make this a more general point. You are never completely safe whether you are in the dorm or a big house in beverly hills. You don't need to be paranoid, but just take reasonable precautions. ALWAYS lock your door when you leave the room, and ask your roommates to do the same. Put valuables away, and lock up the more valuable ones. Locks made specifically for laptops are available, I use one at my work. They can be defeated with a cable cutter, but it takes time. Most thefts are crimes of opportunity, so don't give them an opportunity. One last thing, even though you didn't ask about this, when you go out, go in a group and have someone walk you home and inside even campus police. The campus police should be available for a "walking escort".

Answer 6

I would think that this depends on the location of the college. I go to a college in WV and the only time stuff has been stolen from rooms was whenever people left their doors unlocked. As long as you lock your room every time you leave (and this does include just trips to the bathroom or shower), you should be ok. This is what we were advised to do by our Public Safety department on campus when we first moved into our dorms.

Oh, and make sure you write down the serial numbers on anything like laptops, microwaves, any thing like that that you take to college with you. That way, if it does get stolen, you can identify it. It also helps to put an identifying scratch on stuff--not a noticeable one, just one in a location that only someone very familliar w/ the object would know about. It's also smart to mark your books on a certain page and stuff, too. College books are expensive and most bookstores and public safety departments are good about returning them as long as you can quote identifying information to them.

Answer 7

It REALLY depends on the area and how you co-exist in your dorm. Many people have already said the basics like lock your door, take your key, etc.

A little additional advice. Room with someone responsible and trustworthy. Make sure they lock the door when they leave and you aren't there. If you have a random roommate, be leery, but not suspicious. Most people who draw random roommates probably feel just like their counterpart, so talk it over and get to know your cohabitant.

As far as valuables go - jewelry should be stored somewhere safe, or at least hidden. A good place for this is your sock drawer. Not many people like going through socks, or would even think to look there for something to steal. It's wierd, but its pretty secure.

Laptops are actually pretty easy. Almost all laptops have a "security lock slot" located on the side of the computer. It looks like a little rectangular hole. Almost any office supply store will sell a reinforced steel lock with an equally strong cable attached for around 20 bucks. Purchase one of these cables. Use it to secure your laptop to your desk. This is a MAJOR theft deterrent, since these locks are very difficult to break and require much more work to get through as opposed to leaving your computer vulnerable. This accessory is a MUST BUY for any collegiate laptop owner.

Other major items, such as iPods and cellular phones are a matter of care. Keep them with you except when charging. Store them like you would jewelry. Try to situate their charging stations somewhere that you can hide them, like near your bed or drawers.

Hope this helps.

Answer 8

There is a lot of variation in the level of security between dorm buildings, but they're generally pretty safe, if you take normal, common-sense precautions like locking your door when you leave (and make sure your roommate does the same) Some dorm buildings have either locks on the door to the outside or even a magnetic pass key to ride the elevator. Others depend on the locks on the individual room doors for security. Ultimately, it comes down to how careful you are with your personal property -- I wouldn't bring anything really valuable with you when you move into the dorms, though I suppose your laptop is kind of necessary. Improve your odds by getting a laptop security cable -- it attaches to the case of your laptop and allows you to leash it to your desk or other permanently-mounted fixture. It won't stop someone who's REALLY determined to steal it, but it will definitely slow them down. If you have a bicycle, get a Kryptonite lock for it and lock it to something really secure. Obviously, don't leave your wallet, money, ID or other small, pilferable items on your desk while you're away from your room. Make sure to discuss security concerns with your roommate, so you're on the same page.

Answer 9

As I have worked for a University Police Department can state that proportionate to break ins to a college dorm to that of city wide housing the dorms will have a pretty high rate. Also another favorite of perps i not only the dorms, some doors left unlocked, but the vehicles also get either vandalized or burglary of vehicle.

For any University the Police Department on campus will have a stats page of break ins. Be a little leery as these are volunteer information....ie if not reported or if statistically want to ensure the campus reflects safety.

Answer 10

well if you lock your door and don't advertise to everyone that you have valuables in there you should be fine. if you're worried about stuff getting stolen, then ask if there's any sort of "renters insurance" available at the dorm. We had something like that available when I was in college, so if your room was broken into, or there was a fire or something else stupid happened, then your stuff would be replaced for cheap. Ask the resident hall staff and find out. If it's not available, ask insurance companies in town if they'll provide renters insurance for your dorm room (though you'd have to get roomie on board to do that!) Good luck

Answer 11

It really depends on the school and your hall mates. For example, at my school most every one keeps their doors unlocked. We have an honor code that everyone takes seriously, and so you don't have to worry about your stuff getting stolen. Most of the time if you leave your purse some where, it is either right where you left it or someone turned it in to the lost and found.

Unfortunately, most schools are not like this. There are a lot of schools where you would want to keep your door locked at all time. Talk to your RA's and other people on campus to find out what it's like. In the end, your stuff should be fine as long as the door is locked.