How to keep yourself safe on campus

My name is Nigel Ward, and on 30th March 2015 I was employed by Imperial College as the Senior Security Officer, Crime. My role is to investigate all crime, deliver a gold standard of victim care, and implement prevention tactics and strategies to reduce crime and the number of victims. What I bring to this role comes from serving 30 years in the Metropolitan Police service from which I retired this February.

What is exceptionally important to me is the way that victims of crime are treated. As a result I have created a new Victim Charter; this ensures all victims will be treated with dignity, respect and understanding. Communications will be open, honest, and transparent and victims will be treated in line with their needs and wishes rather than treating everyone the same. The charter also assures that no matter what the severity of a crime, all victims are fully supported and advised from cradle to grave throughout investigations.

The security teams, as well as myself, are also very keen to support any actions or events being organised by the student Union or assist in organising event. Areas such as personal safety/security talks and bike/property marking events helping to ensure our students have a safe and enjoyable college life.

Since starting, the two main crimes that have been all too apparent, impacting the most and creating victims of crime are theft of pedal cycles and theft of laptops. In the last six weeks 13 Laptops and 6 bikes have been stolen. In total the value of the items stolen is approximately £15,000 and some of the crimes were absolutely preventable.

Investigation findings

Bicycles on the whole have been stolen by professional thieves targeting bike storage areas and cutting off inferior security devices such as cable locks. Suspects have managed to enter secure bike sheds by tailgating people in and then out with stolen bikes and scaling fencing. Thieves have been captured on CCTV walking onto the campus on foot dressed in full cycling gear, helmets, glasses, pollution masks and lycra shorts and then minute’s later riding out again on stolen bikes.

The many laptops that have been taken have, mainly, been stolen when left unattended in insecure areas such as open plan offices, communal areas in halls of residence, unlocked classrooms, and eating establishments. Suspects have, again, managed to enter secure areas through tailgating and unfortunately thieves will target the College campus as they see it as an easy target where electronics are left unattended. The example I usually give is you would not leave £1500 cash sitting on a table in an office or communal area and expect it to stay there while you go get a coffee, so then why do it with a computer, phone, or tablet worth similar amounts of money.

How to keep your bike safe:

•Use a quality lock not a cheap cable lock. The security office can provide a discounted A graded D lock for £30. They have been in use since 2011 and to date not one has ever been cut off.

•Use the secure bike storage areas. Just get your cycle property marked and registered online, then swipe access will be given to staff or students to use the facilities.

For advice contact the security office in room 155 Sherfield.

•When securing your bike, make sure the frame is secured, not just the quick release wheels that only assist thieves.

•Any quick release items such as saddles, lights and wheels, consider removing them and taking them with you or using additional locks to secure them.

•Do not allow people to tail gate you into secure areas. The only people that should be entering will have swipe access.

Being polite and holding doors open is nice but not at the expense of someone’s £1500 bike.

•Take and retain a digital photo of your bike and record bike serial numbers to aid recovery if stolen.

•If you see someone acting suspiciously, report it to security immediately.

Keeping your Laptops and Tablets safe

•Keep your communal areas, office spaces and halls of residence as secure as possible, do not allow people to tailgate you into controlled areas.

•Challenge suspicious persons or call security to do so, better safe than sorry.

•Do not leave items unattended in communal areas, even for short periods.

•Lock all IT equipment away in secure areas overnight or when leaving unattended.

•Do not leave doors propped open and be aware burglars do climb so items left next to open windows even when not on the ground floor are at risk.

•Get items property marked, record serial numbers and any facts that could aid identification if stolen.

•Ensure relevant tracking software is installed and enabled on your device where available.

•Use laptop security cables with items in your work stations.