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The following article appeared in the Daily Times on Fri., 1/4/02 and might be of particular interest to students living off campus.
Jim Phillips
Chief-University Police
410-543-6007
City burglaries rise during winter break
Students often victimized while away
By Kristen M. Schmidt, Daily Times Staff Writer
SALISBURY — Until some time last week, Sean Wilson had a flat-screen television in his Hazel Avenue house. He also had a VCR, a DVD player, a camcorder, nearly 50 compact discs, power tools and jars full of loose change.
Wilson, a fourth-year business student at Salisbury University, was in Florida when his landlord called twice to say the house had been burglarized.
Police say burglaries in neighborhoods with a lot of students are a perennial problem during winter break. As students return for winter courses or to prepare for the spring semester, some are finding unwelcome surprises.
''My mom was irate,'' Wilson said. He and his roommates filed a report with police with the help of landlord John D. Robinson Sr.
''In six years, I've never had a problem. It's been a great neighborhood,'' said Robinson, who owns two houses in the area. ''I'm upset more for these guys and their safety.''
An alarm system and new doors are being installed in the house, Robinson said.
He said the house he owns on Smith Street also was burglarized and he has heard about other, nearby burglaries.
Neighborhoods with college students are among the most frequently burglarized in the city, according to Salisbury Police Department statistics.
In the Smith Street neighborhood, there were 56 burglaries from December 2000 to November 2001. Residents in the Princeton Street area reported 57 burglaries during the same period.
''It just seems like every time they're gone for break, it happens,'' said Lt. Paul Simon, who often speaks at crime-prevention events for students.
He also said police will know the exact number of burglaries when most students return in late January for the spring semester.
Police check pawn shops after burglaries for stolen merchandise and offer preventive programs such as vacant home checks. Residents who plan to be away from home can register at the department, and an officer will check on the home periodically.
Simon also said practical advice is often the best:
- Make the home look lived-in by setting timers for televisions, stereos and lights.
- Keep on exterior lights. Burglars are likely to look for a dark spot along the house as an entry point.
- If possible, leave a vehicle in the driveway.
Operation ID, another Salisbury police program, allows residents to register items with serial numbers. Police can engrave electronics and other property with the owner's driver's license number.
To arrange for a check or for more information about Operation ID, call the department at 410-548-3165 and ask for the crime prevention officer.
Reach Kristen M. Schmidt at 410-749-7171, Ext. 232.
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