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PROTECTING YOURSELF ON AND OFF CAMPUS By Casey Roche The latest updates on break-ins around Summerstrand can have your hands trembling and spilling your coffee when you open your morning newspaper, or when you open your news application (app) on your phone or switch on the radio. Thoughts race through your mind, “What if I’m next?” or “How can I tweet if my phone gets stolen?” Fear not because here is some information as well as tips on how to be more safety conscious on and off campus. “NMMU has one of the lowest incident rates of all South African universities,” said Derek Huebsch, the Head of Department of Protection Services at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). He went on to explain that incidents which require investigation average around 120 occurrences a year at NMMU which include: theft, house break-ins, motor vehicle theft, assault and possession of banned substances. In addition to the NMMU protection services implementing various safety measures such as the safe route between North and South campus which is currently being tested and will be implemented soon, students are advised to take special precautions in various situations to reduce the possibility of being a target.
Security guards pull over a car at South Campus main gate as one of the precautionary steps to reduce theft of motor vehicles and assets. Photo credit: Anthea John
Term 1 | March 2016
Huebsch was more than happy to provide a few useful tips for students on and off campus which include: •Wearing visible NMMU ID cards when on campus to help reduce the amount of unauthorised persons on campus. •Don’t leave property unattended especially in computer labs as these are targeted due to the amount of laptops, tablets etc being present. •Be alert at all times and don’t text on your phone while walking, as this allows you to become an easy target. •Rather use ATM’s inside shopping centres or at petrol stations. •Don’t walk alone after dark, stick to groups of two or more and always use well-lit routes instead of dark short-cuts. •Trust your gut instinct, if something doesn’t feel right get to a safe place or someone you trust immediately. In addition to the above install apps on your cellphone and laptop that act as a tracking device which can be used to track the devices when stolen. If you do get yourself stuck in a dangerous situation, keep calm, co-operate and focus on identifying the perpetrator, after which report any stolen wallets or cellphones to the police as soon as possible.
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