Impact Investigates Theft in Nottingham

Impact Investigates Theft in Nottingham

By Arabella Mitchell

Feeling safe whilst at university has always been important for students (and their families). One fear that many share is being burgled or having possessions stolen. This is not only feared on campus but in the city or town of the University. There is a presumption that theft is more common in student areas (such as Lenton and Dunkirk) than on campus. Impact’s Investigation team examines the safety of students on University Park Campus and in the city centre, specifically regarding theft.

When discussing theft, it is evident that the crime rate tends to be higher in the city centre, regardless of where you are in the country. As centres have a higher footfall, there is no surprise that theft is more common. As the table below demonstrates, the 2023 crime count within the city centre is significantly higher than in any other Nottingham area.

The following statistics are taken from the Crime Count of popular Student areas. This table highlights the crime count of 2023 (until August 2023). Additionally, it ranks all 33 areas in terms of safety (one being the most dangerous).

Although theft certainly does happen within the city centre, this piece will primarily focus on the University campuses and popular student areas (Lenton, Dunkirk, Beeston and Radford). This is not only because crime is more inevitable within the centre but also because only a minority of UoN students live in Nottingham city centre.

When the Investigations team conducted surveys and interviews, all of our interviewees stated that they felt less at risk of theft being on campus compared to other areas. This assumption is likely to be felt by many, but why might this be the case?

One student stated that they felt safer because they ‘regularly see security officers walking around’. This is not common within other popular student areas as it would be harder to maintain. Although there is a large number of policemen/women dedicated to patrolling student areas, this does not match the scale of those present on campus.

As the university has the resources to implement safety measures across all campuses, it is no wonder why security services are prominent. The University of Nottingham has a dedicated security service that ensures all staff and students feel safe whilst on campus. This service not only ensures that there are uniformed officers on campus 24 hours a day,it also has many other responsibilities. For example, the security service also: monitors CCTV across campus, ensures the rigorous enforcement of laws, investigates crimes and makes sure there is 24-hour security in all halls of residence and bike sheds.

Alongside the pivotal role of security services, as the Community Engagement Manager at UoN, Jamie Dickinson, commented, “The close working relationship we have with the police enables us to keep our students informed as to what is happening and, most importantly, to educate them in crime prevention”.

Although it certainly cannot be disputed that there are many practical measures on campus to ensure theft is minimised, students feel that improvements are still needed.

As our interviews and surveys highlighted, many students do not understand why some buildings on campus require card access but others do not. For example, buildings such as the SU building and Monica Partridge do not require student cards for access. Whereas, libraries and the med school have card access. One student explained to Impact that this system would work better if it was a universal rule across University Park Campus, meaning that only students and staff could enter university buildings. With fewer people having access, crime on campus may be minimised and easier to monitor.

Additionally, belongings in the building would be safer as the doors would effectively be locked. The same student stated that they would feel ‘more comfortable leaving possessions whilst going to the toilet or getting a coffee if the doors had card access’.

One student we interviewed stated they once had their laptop stolen whilst studying in the Monica Partridge building. On a Monday, the student was studying in a fairly quiet Monica Partridge building by themself. As is common among many, the student went to heat up some food in the microwave on the top floor. In the five they were gone, the student’s laptop had been stolen off their desk. The student stated that they were “not only devastated but annoyed when my laptop was stolen. Obviously, it was expensive and I did not have loads of money sitting around to buy a new one but I was annoyed as I had lost so much uni-work and the start of my coursework essay”.

As many students do not have access to an abundance of money, getting a replacement laptop required the student to not only pick up multiple shifts at work but also completely restart their coursework. The student further stated that they are not only more ‘cautious’ but will now ‘only study in a building that needs card access’.

Alongside the theft of laptops and other kinds of technology, bike theft also causes an issue for many students. In recent years, there has been a rise in bike theft. In 2022 for example, there were 604 reports of stolen bicycles. However, it is important to note that not all bike thefts are reported so the statistic is likely to be a lot higher. Due to the sheer size of Nottingham, many rely on bikes to get between A and B. Although there are many secured bike sheds on campus, you cannot walk around campus without seeing an abundance of poorly secured bikes.

As bikes are a relatively easy object to steal, particularly when not locked securely, there is no surprise that bike theft is common. As the University states: you should ensure that when bringing a bike onto campus you have not only placed it within a locked bike shed but ensured it is fastened securely. Please if you take your bike to campus follow this guidance and do not be a victim of bike theft!

Theft in popular student areas

There are some reasons why theft can be seen as more common in student areas. One of these is that as student homes often contain more possessions than a regular home (multiple laptops, tablets etc.) they are more desirable. Additionally, as many students go home for long periods of time, student homes can go through long periods of being empty. Therefore, theft can be seen as more common in student areas.

Additionally, as student homes are often inhabited by multiple students each with different schedules, it can be difficult to constantly ensure that all windows and doors are locked. This is pivotal as 70% of burglaries happen as a result of an unlocked food and 30% through a window. Due to these reasons, it is understandable why break-ins are common within student areas. So for the safety of yourself and your horrible student house sofa, please ensure all doors and windows are locked!

One of the students we interviewed for this investigation had their house broken into last year.

This student lived in the area known as the Lenton Triangle last year in a house of five. As it was a Wednesday where else would the students have been but Crisis? The student stated that after getting home at around two in the morning, they noticed that their front door was left wide open. The student noted that among all of the items stolen were five laptops, a TV and two tablets.

When the police came to investigate, they found that there was no evidence of forced entry. Instead, it was noted that the suspect entered the house through an unlocked side door. The student said that they were left to feel ‘silly’ and ‘guilty’ for not ensuring that all doors were locked when leaving the house.

Therefore, although break-ins do happen within student areas, in most of these cases it could have been avoided by ensuring all necessary and common safety measures.

This table outlines the counts of different types of theft reported in 2023 as of August.

Last year in Nottingham, there were 12,282 incidents of theft recorded. According to Nottingham Crime Rate, an estimated 523 of these cases were robberies.Although this was a twenty percent increase of 2021’s 437, arguably the statistic is low in relation to Nottingham’s population of approximately 794,000 during 2021. Below is a table highlighting the type of theft and how many counts have been reported in 2023, thus far. Although theft is an issue in Nottingham, particularly in student areas, there are many easy measures that can be taken to ensure you do not fall victim! So please, take a minute to lock your windows and double check all doors are fully locked.

Overall, it is understandable that the added security measures on campus make many feel safer from theft. But, is that not what we expect from our campuses? As campuses are privately owned, measures can effectively be implemented in ways that would not be achievable in other student areas.

Despite this, it is inaccurate to say that this is solely an issue in Nottingham and there are evidently cases of criminal activity right across Britain.

Although it would be lovely to live in a world where crime was not present, arguably, that would be simply utopian. Despite this, there are many actions that as students we should take to ensure that not only ourselves but our valuables stay safe. Nottingham is truly a great place to list whilst completing your degree.

After all, how many places in the UK have a great University, an abundance of fun things to do, and more geese than students? (okay, that last one may not be so positive).

Impact reached out to people working in relevant teams within the public sector as well as sections of the university, but received no response.

Top tips on preventing the chances of becoming a victim of theft

Keep your bike locked securely

Keep windows and doors locked

Do not share access codes into houses/ flats etc with others

Set a burglar alarm

Ensure your home looks occupied (particularly when you are leaving for holiday periods)

Insure all of your personal belongings (many halls and estate agents include this within your tenancy)

Keep keys and valuables out of sight

How to report a crime on University Park Campus

Visit the Security Control Room (located in the Trent building and open 8am-4pm Monday to Friday)

Phone the security team for an EMERGENCY on 0115 951 8888

Phone the security team for NON emergencies 0115 951 3013

Talk to a member of staff/security officer on campus or in student residences

Contact the student advice centre who can help if you have been the victim of a crime and are in need of support

How to report a crime to the Police

Phone 999- IMMEDIATE threat to life or property

Phone 101- less urgent than 999. Also available 24/7

Report a non-emergency crime or incident online at: https://onlinecrime.notts.police.uk/

Report anonymously to Crime stoppers at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously

Visit a police station