House Hunting Tips
 

A couple of things to ask yourself when moving into the private sector:

• Are door and window locks fitted and secure?
• Is there an alarm fitted?
• Do smoke detectors work?
• Do you feel safe in the area you're looking at? (Take a look at our Crime Stats section)
• Have the current tenants had any crime-related problems?

If you do have safety concerns with the property ask the landlord for improvements, e.g. extra locks, burglar alarm. Make sure anything you agree on is written into the contract.

 

Remember: any changes have to be agreed BEFORE signing the contract!

 

 

Smashing the Myth

Around 50% of burglaries against student properties are through an open door or window.

Fact or fiction: Woodhouse is home to the most burgled street in the UK.

Fact or fiction: Student areas of Leeds are more prone to crime than the rest of Leeds altogether.

Fact or fiction: May to July 2008 saw 180 burglaries in Hyde Park and Headingley alone.

 

People may claim that all three are true. In fact, the latter is, sadly, a real statistic. So how can you avoid your house becoming easy pickings? If you’re doing all you can to prevent crime where you live, chances are you won’t become a statistic.

Keeping Your Property Safe - A Checklist

During 2008, nearly 52% of all burglaries against student properties in Leeds took place through an open door or window.

Criminals are on the look-out for easy targets. Students own more expensive consumer goods per head than the rest of the population. Therefore, it is not surprising that around 20% of students become a victim of crime each year. Burglary can only take a few seconds. Have a look at some of our hints and tips in the checklist and reduce the risk, heartache and hassle of your property stolen.

• Are the doors and windows locked? This doesn’t just mean the front door, but any internal doors too. It might sound obvious but so many burglaries could have been avoided by just turning a key.
• Did you recognise the person who followed you into the building? If you live in halls it’s easy to assume that everyone coming in and out are students, but you could also be giving a free pass to a burglar by holding the door open or letting in a stranger with your key.
• Laptop sat on your desk? I-pod on the windowsill? Car keys in full view? Such items are easy pickings for a burglar. Keep valuable items out of sight - put them in a drawer or wardrobe, or hide them under the bed. Also mark your property with the initials of your university and your student ID number - this makes it harder for a burglar to sell stolen goods and can help the police return items to you.
• How obvious is it that everyone’s out? Leave a light or radio on when you go out to give the impression someone is in - maybe use a timer switch and low energy light bulbs.
• Are you insured? Keep lists of the make, model and serial numbers of your electronic items to help police track them down if they are stolen.

Out and About

Staying safe doesn’t mean changing your lifestyle or what you wear, nor does it mean never going out.

Being safe on the streets and not becoming a victim of crime is about avoiding dangerous situations. See how many of the following points you’re already aware of:

• You will be safest in well-lit areas and where other people are. Stick to walking in places in areas like this. Robbery is more likely to take place in quiet dark areas.
• Pickpockets work in busy areas like shopping centres or on a packed bus. Keep your items and bags close and spread them about yourself.
• Make sure your bags are closed if possible so nobody can stick their hand in and grab something.
• Be inconspicuous with your valuables. Don’t go flashing your fancy new mobile, iPod or laptop; you become worth robbing with all that juicy gear on you!
• Avoid walking alone at night and walk in groups. Better still, all share a taxi home.
• Avoid possible danger areas. Cutting through Hyde Park may save you five minutes and get you home quicker, but sticking to the well-lit busier streets around the park is much safer.
• When you go out tell your friends what time you expect to arrive home and where you are going, just so they know.
• Keep belongings in your car out of sight. (For example: Sat Navs or bags). Also, remove the fronts of your car stereos and wipe away any tell-tale marks on your window screen where your Sat Nav has been.
• Keep cards and cheque books separate. Note down your card details so you can cancel them quickly if stolen.
• Be vigilant when using your mobile phone. If your phone is stolen, call your network or 0870 1123 123 to immobilise it.
• When using a cash-machine, be aware of nosey parkers and don’t count your money in the middle of the street.

These little things are easy to do and don’t require a change of lifestyle, personality or wardrobe, nor do they mean never going out!

Operation Walk Safe

This is a joint project by the West Yorkshire Police and the campus security services for both Leeds universities. It aims to create a safer environment for Leeds students at night through the enforcement of joint patrols. These patrols will be both on and off campus, and will also offer advice on improving their personal safety and the security of their property. Look out for the Walk Safe team during September and October and if you have any questions or need their help just stop and ask. They are there to help the students of Leeds!

At Night

Stick to busy, well-lit streets. It’s one of the simplest things you can do to improve your safety!

Night time in Leeds has a variety of attractions to offer- whether you’re cramming in the extra study hours at Late Night Library, indulging in a bit of culture at the Hyde Park Picture House, or dancing the night away in the city centre.
No matter what you may be up to, as the sun goes down the risk of crime sadly goes up, meaning you have to be even more vigilant when it comes to personal safety.

Take a look at the useful points above in 'Out and About' to help you stay safe at night.

LUU's Nightbus

Don't risk walking home alone from the Union...The LUU Nightbus will drop you to your door for just 50p.

You can book the Nightbus at the front door of the Leeds University Union building with the security staff. Booking can only be made an hour before the bus leaves, the times vary so it is best to check the timetable on the LUU website at www.leedsuniversityunion.org.uk, by downloading it from the link below or picking up a copy at the LUU reception.
This service is intended for students who have already spent their night in the Union, rather than a shuttle service after being out in town. If you are on a night out in Leeds centre we recommend using Amber cars – see more info below.

 

LUU's Walk Safe 

For those of you who still don’t know what Leeds University Union’s “Walk Safe” service is, we thought we’d enlighten you!  

The service is available to anyone using LUU’s facilities from 7pm who would rather be accompanied to the taxi rank next to Parkinson Building or the barrier at the top of the Union precinct, rather than walking and waiting alone. 

Anyone wishing to use this service should speak to security staff at LUU and sign the Walk Safe sheet with their name and student number (if they are a Leeds University student). 

The Walk Safe service also ensures that any individuals who are either refused entry or removed from LUU for being drunk will be offered the service and/or a space on the Nightbus. The only exception would be if the customer was being aggressive and could therefore be a risk to staff.

 

Amber Cars

Knowledge has teamed up with Amber Cars to provide safe transport for Leeds and Leeds Met University students who may find themselves in a sticky situation.

Amber Cars runs a "Student ID Payment Scheme" which allows students to use Amber Cars in an emergency situation if they need to get home but have no cash. This scheme runs only in the hours of darkness, once buses have stopped running. If you want to use the scheme, inform the member of staff at Amber Cars at the time of booking, who will then advise the driver. The driver will take your student card which can be collected upon payment of the taxi fare from your Student Union within two working days.

 

For more information on Amber, click here.

Cycle Crime

In October 2008, 62% of bikes stolen from students were taken from campus

With the price of owning a car and public transport increasing, more and more people are turning to cycling as a fun alternative way of getting around Leeds. However, sadly, more and more bikes mean more and more opportunities for theft. Across Leeds, 166 bikes were stolen in October 2008 alone; out of this 37 victims were students.

 

Iain Kennedy, a second year medicine student at Leeds University and resident of Clarence Dock, had his bike stolen off campus despite locking the wheels to the frame and the frame to railings. Fortunately, Iain had his bike insured and is able to claim back for a new one.

 

Iain commented, if you’ve got a nice bike, you need to remember people know how to steal it: they can be clever on how they do it so make sure you get a stringent insurance policy, always use a cycle rack and notify the police (and university security if you’re on campus)!

 

Boyd Watson, Crime Team Manager at the University of Leeds comments: The best way to keep your bike safe is to invest in a good quality lock and only lock your bike to proper bike stands on campus, rather than on railings. The official bike stands are well-lit and, often covered by CCTV and patrolled by our teams. By using the official bike stands, you know we will be patrolling those areas and looking after your bike.

 

Students are increasingly turning to cycling and Knowledge is here to provide helpful tips in order to keep students’ bikes safe.

• Lock your bike in university cycle racks located all over campus and in halls of residence.
• Invest in a good quality bike lock – you can pick a ‘D-lock’ up for around £25.
• Don’t lock your bike to itself – it’s really easy to pick it up and walk away with it, always lock your bike to a fixed object.
• Finally, make sure you note the make, model and serial number of your bike as well as coding it with your post code in order to aid recovery if the worst comes to the worst.

For information on security-tested bike locks, visit: www.soldsecure.com.

Drink Spiking

Never accept a drink from someone you don’t know

You’re out clubbing with your mates. You’re finishing your drink when some handsome stranger offers to buy you another. You chat a little and accept a drink. What harm can come from this? In the majority of cases the answer is absolutely nothing, however, you do have to be aware that drink spiking does happen. Avoid putting yourself at risk, by reading though our advice and top tips.

 

What is drink spiking?

Drink spiking is when drugs or alcohol are added to somebody’s drink, without their knowledge. The most common reasons for spiking drinks are: amusement, sexual assault/rape, theft/robbery and kidnap/extortion.

 

Symptoms

These will depend on the drug used and factors such as your body shape and size, your age, and how much alcohol (if any) you have drunk. Common symptoms include:

• Dizziness and difficulty with walking
• Confusion or feeling disorientated, especially the next day or after waking up once you have been asleep
• Nausea or vomiting
• Hallucinations
• Tiredness and fatigue
• Difficulty speaking or slurred speech
• Visual problems, particularly blurred vision
• Paranoia
• Amnesia, particularly about things that have recently happened. You may experience what is known as a blackout of events, not being able to remember large sections of your evening.

What to do if you think your drink has been spiked

• Get help from someone you trust
• Tell a member of senior management in the bar you’re in
• Seek medical assistance and inform the police as soon as possible

Avoid being a victim

• Don’t leave drinks unattended
• Never accept a drink from somebody you don’t know. If you do accept a drink from a stranger, go to the bar with them to see it being poured / opened
• If you feel drunker that you normally would, let a friend know so they can keep an eye on you
• If you think your drink has been spiked, go to a safe place or tell somebody who you trust to help you
• Try to drink from a bottle rather than a glass when possible as it is more difficult to spike a drink in a bottle
• Don’t drink leftover drinks

Spiking someone’s drink is a very serious offence that carries a maximum sentence of up to ten years in prison.

House Parties - Dos and Don'ts!

Issues surrounding house parties and general noise levels can often cause upset in student areas. Here are a few points to consider:

House Parties

• How many people have you really invited? If you advertise your house party on social networking sites, be careful when setting up the invite – if you set your event to 'open' you may be amazed at all the friends you never knew you had
   
• Involve your neighbours. You’re going to be around for at least a year so try not to rub them up the wrong way. Inform your neighbours if you’re planning a house party, maybe even invite them along!
   
• Watch the noise levels. Even though you’re not at work the next day, the rest of your street may be. You’re not expected to play lullabies through your headphones, but a reasonable volume, especially after midnight, will prevent any 'noisy neighbour' complaints the next day.
   
• Don’t advertise your valuables. If possible make sure bedroom doors are locked, or find a place where you can hide away laptops, MP3 players and anything else that you don’t want to find damaged or missing the next day.
   
• Who’s that guy over there? Make sure you or your housemates actually know everyone. Understandably, you don’t want to be party poopers and throw people out, but it’s your house and your party - keep it safe from random party-goers!
   
• Finally, don’t leave the place a mess. Check outside for broken glass or any other unusual additions to your garden

General Noise

• If you play a musical instrument, speak to your neighbours and housemates and agree times when you can practice.
• If you book a taxi to pick you up from your house, ask them to prank you when they arrive instead of beeping the horn.
• If you get in late, close doors quietly and save any conversations until you’re inside.
• If you can hear your music from outside your room, there’s a good chance your housemates and everyone else living around you can too!

These suggestions may seem pretty obvious, but universities routinely receive complaints regarding noise and parties. The universities, in some cases, will take action against students who persistently distress neighbours and damage the university’s reputation.
In addition, Leeds City Council has legal powers to take action against perpetrators of noise pollution, which could ultimately result in a criminal conviction, the confiscation of equipment and a fine of up to £5,000.

If you are having any problems with a noisy neighbour or any other concern regarding the community in which you live, contact the Universities Neighbourhood Helpline service on their 24 hour voicemail service tel: 0113 3431064 or email: neighbourhood.helpline@leeds.ac.uk. The university works with complainants in a mediation role to resolve any disputes which involve our students. Ring or e-mail us if you have any concerns regarding your local community.