Students living in the University residence halls have two major options, according to Rhondie Voorhees, Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall resident director. Expensive items such as stereos and televisions are objects that students might take home, she said. But if taking home all valuables is too cumbersome, locking them in the closet is a viable option, Voorhees said.
Individual residents have access to one closet only they can lock.
Voorhees also said that bicycles should also be taken home if students are concerned about them, because fire codes prohibit them from being stored in the residence halls. Students living outside the University system have different options to keep safe, according to Urbana police officer Duane Maxey. Keeping doors and windows locked, stopping newspaper and mail delivery, keeping house or apartment lights on a timer and asking neighbors to watch for unusual activity are all good ideas, he said. If there is a problem, we can do a house search. Maxey said if students plan on leaving cars parked in a public area over break, they should make sure their vehicles are locked and all valuables are removed from them.