Crime

Whilst Winchester is a beautiful and idyllic city it would be foolish not to consider the possibility of crime. Below are a few points we have put together to help keep yourself and your belongings safe whilst at University.

1.  ‘Safety in Numbers', classic advice but very true, try and avoid being out late on your own.
2.   Walk in well lit areas.
3.   Don’t take short cuts through parks, dark alleyways, or across wasteland.
4.   If you think you are being followed, cross the road, several times if necessary, then make your way to a place where there are other people and call the police immediately.
5.   Vary your route if you are a regular cyclists or jogger.
6.   Cover up expensive looking jewellery.
7.   If possible take a course in self defence or safety awareness.

 See here for latest useful information and advice from Hampshire Police

The chances of being attacked are relatively low, especially if you follow the basic rules of personal safety; however, it’s better to be safe than sorry. To take just a minute to think what action you would take if you found yourself in a vulnerable situation could save you from harm. Be aware of what you could do to protect yourself whether it is being co-operative, shouting, activating a personal alarm, screaming, kicking, hitting out or simply fleeing.

Whatever you do, your safety is the priority. Having a plan will give you that split second advantage over your attacker.

 If you have suffered an attack, an attempted attack, or a threat to your safety, try and get to a safe place and dial 999 as soon as you can. The most important pieces of information required are:

·          Your location,

·          A description of your attacker and,

·          The direction in which they left.

Good 2b secure - Fight against crime campaign

 Be understanding to others

You need to be aware that your behaviour can often unintentionally make others feel vulnerable: wolf whistling, passing comments, or starting random conversations with someone at a lonely bus stop are all things that might make someone else feel uncomfortable.

 By using a little empathy we can try to reduce the concerns of others:

 • Where possible, walk home with your friends or arrange lifts/taxi's for people that have to travel home alone.
• Try not to cause unnecessary worry by walking closely behind a lone individual.
• If you are walking behind a lone individual, cross the road and get in front of them so that you can be seen.

 Reducing the possibility of crime in halls

 Halls of residence might be considered an easy target for an opportunistic thief, with lots of students leaving doors open to visit a neighbour or cook in the kitchen. It is very easy for residents to make halls of residence an unattractive target for these larcenous crooks:

 • Don't put your room number or address on your key ring - if you loose your keys potential crooks will know which houses to visit.
• Be careful who you let into halls, if they look suspicious or you don't know who they are, ask for identification. If they’re meant to be there and are a genuine caller they won't mind.
• Don't leave your door key in either the outside door or your room door at any time. Never leave your door open, even if only for a short time.