Warning over campus thefts

Imperial College is a fantastic environment in which to study and most staff, visitors and students will never experience crime whilst on the campus. However, some will and it is my job to deter crime, provide crime prevention advice and investigate reported crimes, along with my colleague Community Support Officer, Paul Stratford. Imperial College has an ‘open door’ policy and some non-sensitive areas are unlocked during working hours and accessible to the public. This affords unhindered passage for all but can attract criminals. Keeping your property with you at all times is probably the best way of keeping them safe. I often walk around the campus and see laptop computers, mobile phones and bags left unattended, not just inside the buildings but also in the garden areas. The in-house security team is very effective at collecting these items and storing them in the security office, but some are stolen. This can lead to a complete loss of a student’s work, which can be devastating. The same advice is pertinent to offices: if you keep your laptop computer or digital camera in the office, ensuring it is under lock and key is the best way of keeping it safe.

If you use your pass to enter a door, please check the identity of anyone following you in. They won’t mind showing you their pass if they are genuine. There have been instances recently when students have assisted someone entering a restricted area by opening the door for them. The person they let through was there to steal property. Don’t be the one to let them in.

There have been some recent incidents when students have been stopped by people in plain clothes pretending to be police officers. The students have been searched and made to hand over property. If a police officer stops you and shows you a police warrant card, please check the following: the warrant card wallet is black. Inside the wallet is a silver badge on the left with a small slip of silver metal which has braille on it. A Metropolitan Police warrant card is blue, white and red. The words ‘POLICE OFFICER’ are at the top printed in red. If you are unsure dial 999 or get someone to dial it for you and ask for the police. They will confirm if the person is a real police officer. The police will never ask you for PIN numbers for bank cards, you should never reveal these to anyone.

You can security mark your property, or register it on the Immobilise website (www.immobilise.com). If you would like help or information about this, please contact me.

If you would like to contact me directly, in confidence, for advice, information or to arrange a talk for a group, please email police@imperial.ac.uk.

PC Nigel Lewis is the Imperial College Police Officer. He is part of the Knightsbridge & Belgravia Safer Neighbourhood Team based at Belgravia Police Station.