Safety a priority in apartment search

With the recent rash of robberies and burglaries throughout Oakland, safety is on the minds… With the recent rash of robberies and burglaries throughout Oakland, safety is on the minds of students hunting for apartments.

“When I was looking for apartments, safety was definitely a concern of mine,” Jennifer Hopkins, a senior who lives on Coltart Avenue, said. She made sure that her apartment had a security door for the front entrance, and she and her roommate keep their windows locked when they go out. “Being mugged and having your apartment broken into is definitely in the back of my head all the time.”

Fortunately, there are simple rules to follow for anyone who is renting an apartment to make sure that when you get home, your laptop, iPod and television will still be where you left them.

The Pitt Police have found that leaving doors and windows unlocked is a mistake students commonly make, especially in apartments housing more than one.

“Make sure that everyone locks the door no matter what,” Pitt police officer Ron Bennett said. “Don’t leave items like laptops and cameras just lying around.”

Junior Andrew Robinson left the back door of his Atwood street apartment unlocked one night when he left at 9:30 p.m. to go party with some friends, only to find it wide open when he returned at 1 a.m.

“Shaving cream was sprayed all over the bathroom, and that’s when I first realized that someone had broken in,” he said. “They took the DVD player, video games, money, everything.”

Bennett suggested security items like laptop locks to prevent what he called “crimes of opportunity.” This is when valuable items are easily accessible to those who have been voluntarily allowed into the house, like friends or students there for a party. However, he said that these precautions won’t protect against professional thieves, so hiding your valuables is a good idea as well.

Officer Bennett offered several tips for concerned tenants.

Talk to your landlord and make sure that you have a deadbolt or at least a security chain on your apartment door; apartments with an intercom or a buzzer at the front door are preferable. On lower floors the resident should take special care to make sure that all windows are locked, and many apartments even have bars or other security options.

If there are overgrown hedges on the property, ask for them to be cut to increase visibility and decrease the chance of someone approaching the apartment unseen. Good lighting around the building can make it difficult for people to sneak around, and simple precautions such as closing your blinds can keep thieves from seeing the inside of your empty, well-stocked apartment.

Mailboxes should be private and locked, and if they are easily accessible, put a note on your box for postal workers to leave all packages at the post office, so that they won’t sit temptingly on the front stoop all day, waiting to be stolen.

Take preemptive action: If possible, talk to your insurance company about renter’s insurance, which would cover at least some of the items taken in the event of a robbery.

You should also remember that you’re not alone in your neighborhood or apartment building.

“Get to know your neighbors, talk to them. They are your safety net,” Bennett said. Good neighbors who know your name, face and habits will be more likely to notice when something is wrong. They may realize that the man walking into the empty apartment is not you and be more willing to call the police, he said.

Bennett stressed that staying alert is an important way to keep your neighborhood and apartment safe, as is a willingness to contact the police if necessary. If you see someone in your apartment complex that doesn’t belong there, don’t just ignore them.

“Stay suspicious of people you don’t know, approach them and ask if you can help them to see if they belong there or not,” Bennett said. “We rely on you to call us and let us know what’s going on, because you see things more than we do.”