Tips for Your Safety and Security

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Safety Tips Blue Light Phones Fire Safety New York State Sex Offender Registration Act U.S. Department of Education Tips to Prevent Identity Theft Campus Safety Forum

Emergencies
Residence Halls
Parking Lots
Offices
Personal Safety
In Your Car
In General
Especially
Notice, Remember, and Report
Your Identity

Effective policing is a community activity. Help protect yourself against crime by taking the following common-sense precautions.

Emergencies

• Fire: Leave the building and call the University Police at (716) 878-6333 (extension 6333 from a campus phone).
• Health/Medical: call the University Police at (716) 878-6333 (extension 6333 from a campus phone).

Residence Halls

• Report unusual or suspicious activities to the University Police immediately at extension 6333 or (716) 878-6333.
• Don't admit anyone but your own visitors to the residence halls.
• Don't leave the residence hall doors ajar.
• Keep room doors and suite doors locked, even if you are just going down the hall for a few minutes.
• Lock your room door when you leave and take your keys with you. Do not leave valuable items in the common suite area unless the suite is kept locked.
• Keep small valuable items (jewelry, cash, wallets, purses, etc.) out of sight, in a closed or locked drawer or another area that no one knows about.
• Small electronics such as iPods, mp3 players, cell phones, thumb drives, and laptops are easily taken by thieves and must be secured.

Parking Lots

• Do not walk alone to your car.
• Use the escort service to walk or ride to your car, especially at night.
• Lock your car at all times.
• Take your valuables with you or lock them in the trunk.
• Use anti-theft and safety devices, including remote key access for lighting, car alarms, and steering wheel locks.
• Use the nearest blue-light phone to call 6333 for the Motorist Assistance Program van for help with minor, on-campus car problems (dead battery, flat tire, no gas, locked out).
• Note and remember the location of blue-light phones.

Offices

• Keep your office door locked when you are not in.
• Keep small valuable items (jewelry, cash, wallets, purses, etc.) out of sight, in a closed or locked drawer or another area, that no one knows about.
• Never leave personal valuables sitting out and take your purse or wallet with you when you exit the office, unless it has been placed in a locked secure area.
• Small electronics such as iPods, mp3 players, cell phones, thumb drives, and laptops are easily taken by thieves and must be secured.
• If you hear or see something suspicious, call the University Police immediately at ext. 6333.

Personal Safety

• Always let someone know where you are.
• Never walk alone at night, always walk with a friend.
• Do not leave a party or bar with a casual acquaintance.
• Never leave drinks of any type alone, when at a social gathering.
• Report any rape or sexual assault, even if you know the assailant. It's still a crime.
• Have a phone ready with either 911 or 878-6333 entered into speed dial.
• Familiarize yourself with the locations of the Blue Light phones on campus, as these are an instant means of contacting University Police.
• Use the escort shuttle vans on campus when they are running.
• Report unusual or suspicious activities to the University Police immediately at extension 6333 or (716) 878-6333.

In Your Car

• Do not signal breakdowns or request help from strangers. On campus, call the University Police at 6333 using a blue-light phone. Off campus, call a friend, relative, or garage.
• Check the back seat before entering your car.
• Do not open your window more than an inch if you respond to strangers who approach your car.

In General

• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Keep your door locked at all times.
• Don't walk alone late at night-call (716) 878-6333 for an escort.
• Keep your valuables locked up in a safe place.
• Don't leave your laptop computer unattended.
• Mark your valuables with a personal identification number.

Especially

• Never ignore gut feelings.
• Expect the unexpected.

Notice, Remember and Report

• License plate number
• Which way the car or person went
• Anything left at the scene by the assailant or the victim
• Description of car (color, number of doors, rust)
• Description of person, including
• approximate age, weight, height, and build
• gender
• color and length of hair
• color of eyes
• color of skin
• clothing
• distinctive marks including scars, tattoos
• distinctive accessories including rings, earrings, piercings

Call University Police at (716) 878-6333 immediately if you see any suspicious activity or a crime being committed.

Your Identity

• Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or on the Internet unless you’ve initiated the contact or are sure you know who you’re dealing with. Identity thieves are clever, and have posed as representatives of banks, Internet service providers (ISPs), and even government agencies to get people to reveal their SSN, mother’s maiden name, account numbers, and other identifying information. Before you share any personal information, confirm that you’re dealing with a legitimate organization. Check an organization’s website by typing its URL in the address line, rather than cutting and pasting it in. Many companies post scam alerts on their sites when their name has been used improperly. Or call customer service using the number listed on your account statement or in the telephone book.


• Treat your mail and trash carefully. Deposit your outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office, rather than in an unsecured mailbox. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox. If you’re planning to be away from home and can’t pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold. The Postal Service will hold your mail at your local post office until you can pick it up or are home to receive it.


• To thwart a thief who may pick through your trash or recycling bins to capture your personal information, tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks and bank statements, expired credit or charge cards that you’re discarding, and credit offers you get in the mail. To opt out of receiving offers of credit in the mail that are based on your credit report, call: 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688). The nationwide consumer reporting companies use the same toll-free number to let you opt out of receiving credit offers based on their lists. Note: You will be asked to provide your SSN, which the consumer reporting companies need to match you with your file.


• Don’t carry your SSN card in your wallet; store it in a secure place.


• Give your SSN only when absolutely necessary, and ask to use other types of identifiers. If your state uses your SSN as your driver’s license number, ask to substitute another number. Do the same if your health insurance company uses your SSN as your policy number.


• Carry only the identification information and the credit and debit cards that you’ll actually need when you go out. If your wallet is stolen –or if you lose it – report it immediately to the card issuers and the local police.


• Be cautious when responding to promotions. Identity thieves may create phony promotional offers to get you to give them your personal information.


• Keep your purse or wallet in a safe place at work; do the same with copies of administrative forms that have your sensitive personal information.


• When ordering new checks, pick them up from the bank instead of having them mailed to your home.