Winter Break Message from Boston Police
Dear Students,
Most of you will be leaving shortly to celebrate the holidays and winter break. Whether you are traveling near, or far, the majority of you will be leaving your living spaces vacant and unattended. I want to take this opportunity, as I often do, to offer a few safety tips and reminders so that you do not fall victim to a crime and that your personal possessions and spaces are protected.
As always, please make sure you secure your on and off campus housing units when you leave and lock the doors and windows. If you have air conditioners please remove them from the windows especially those where there is access to a fire escape. If they cannot be removed make sure they are securely fastened. Ask someone knowledgeable if you need assistance. Certain areas of the city experience higher levels of house breaks due to students forgetting to lock doors and windows during the departure for the holidays. This means that your apartments are usually not secured properly! Please take precautions in advance and if need be contact your management company or landlord to make sure that the locks are in working order. Take any and all of your electronic devices of value home with you since these are often attractive targets. Jewelry, game systems, and games and iPods also tend to be items that are attractive to would-be perpetrators. It is just as important to secure your on campus units. Do not get a false sense of security that your rooms will be monitored and take the same precautions that I have mentioned previously.
If you have trusted neighbors living next to, or adjacent, let them know you are going to be away so that they can keep an eye on things. Conversely, if you are going to be staying home, keep an eye on your neighborhood and call 911 if you see anything suspicious. Take a few extra moments to make sure your space is secure so that you are not victimized.
Additionally, should you come back to your residence prior to the start of next semester please keep in mind that we will be monitoring the neighborhoods for loud and underage parties. Understand that these are neighborhoods where people live and work.
On another note I want you to be aware that certain areas of the city where students frequent are experiencing higher numbers of robberies especially in/around the MBTA stations. Please visit www.BPDNews.com to get valuable information on protecting yourself.
On behalf of the Boston Police Department relax and enjoy your winter break.
Regards,
Superintendent William B. Evans
Chief, Bureau of Field Services