Off-Campus Safety

Important Safety Information for Off-Campus & Commuter Students
 

Whether you are on-campus, off-campus, or traveling to or from campus, personal safety and responsibility is extremely important to your overall success at BGSU. 

The list below includes several university resources available to you, as well as many other strategies that you can use to maintain personal safety. If you’re going to be out late, go with friends, stay with friends and return with the same friends.

Quick Tips

• Use the Campus Escort Service to help you get safely home. You can call them at: 419-372-8360. Put this number in your cell phone!
• Use the Campus Shuttle Service.  You can call them at: 419-372-RIDE (7433).
• Be aware of your surroundings. If you see anything suspicious, immediately call 911. If you have a cell phone, don’t wait until you get back to your room or apartment, call immediately!
• If you are involved in an incident, report it immediately. If you have a friend who has been involved in an incident, encourage them to seek assistance and report it to police.
• Attend personal safety workshops. Contact the Campus Police Department for free personal safety seminars at 419-372-2346.
• Pay attention to Crime Alerts. If you have any information that may help with a Crime Alert, call the Campus Police Department at 419-372-2346.
• Sign up for AlertBG, BGSU Text Message Alert System.
• Familiarize yourself with BGSU Emergency Procedures.

When you are at your house/apartment

• Make sure your door has a deadbolt lock and keep your door locked at all times—even when you are at home.
• Keep emergency numbers by your phone.
• Do not put your address on your key ring.
• Do not leave keys in hiding places. Thieves will find them.
• Identify the person who is knocking before you open the door.
• Make sure that all windows on the ground level can be locked and are kept locked.
• Provide blinds or curtains for your windows and keep them drawn at night.
• Check if the smoke detector is working. Change the battery twice a year.

When you are leaving for breaks:

• Thieves know the college schedule so make your place look "lived-in".
• Tell your trusted neighbors that you'll be out of town and ask them to keep an eye out.
• Keep all windows and doors secured.
• Store electronic equipment and small valuables in a safe place.
• Contact the post office and have them hold your mail while you are away.
• Have a timer for lights so that your house looks occupied, even while you are gone.
• If your neighbors have an extra vehicle, ask if they are willing to park in your driveway.
• Keep your heat on (during the winter months) so water pipes don't break.