University and Austin police are teaming up with local apartment complexes and dorms to protect students living in the area from crime when they leave over the Thanksgiving break.
Crime rates on campus and in the city over the Thanksgiving holiday are usually less in comparison to the winter break, but local agencies say they are still concerned about travelers preparing their residences before they leave.
UTPD officer Darrell Halstead said the Division of Housing and Food Service has invested “quite a bit of money” into access control into and out of dorms, making them less of a target than they were in the past.
“Most people don’t have the ability during the holidays just to arbitrarily walk into a dormitory,” Halstead said.
Burglars may instead seek unpopulated, unsecured buildings during the holidays, hoping they can find one in which they can freely roam.
“What these burglars basically have is unrestricted access into restricted areas,” he said.
Halstead said students living in apartments can pick up timers for appliances or lights from the UT police department free of charge.
When apartment complexes, usually filled with college students and immigrant populations, become ghost towns, criminals will come out, said Atilano Guerra, an APD South Central district representative. The amount of targets for criminals and the foot traffic around the complexes draw more criminals to the area, he said.
“You have so many people that live in that one small area, it absolutely is targeted,” Guerra said. “You have burglars coming from other parts of town to hit this area.”
The University Commons apartment complex is warning students about crime in the area. Leasing director Santiago Alemán said the complex compiled a checklist of things for students to do before leaving town.
“Obviously, it’s always good to let people know about safety,” Alemán said.
“If you just hide your property, do the little things,” Guerra said. “It’s going to save you a lot of agony in the end.”
Tips for students leaving town:
• Remove items from apartment balconies or patios
• Take bikes from racks and bring inside
• Stop mail or newspaper deliveries
• Buy and set timers for appliances or lights
• Notify your apartment management office
• Lock all doors and windows
Source: Austin Police Department
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