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Published by the Department of Residential Life. Copyright ©2006,2007.

Avoiding Theft During Move-Out

Although the University of Missouri and Residential Life work very hard to ensure that students live and learn in safe and secure environments, theft is the most reported crime on campus. Hectic times of year, like finals week and move-out, sometimes make students more vulnerable to falling victim to thieves.

During finals week, students should not leave their books and laptop computers unattended. Textbooks are especially vulnerable to theft this time of year since they can be easily and quickly resold at the University bookstore during book buyback.

To protect their belongings, students should be sure to lock their room doors whenever they leave the room. Although it might feel more convenient to leave the door unlocked while walking back and forth between the vehicle and room during move-out, it's better to take the additional time to lock and unlock the door between trips.

It's important to keep vehicles locked as well. Additionally, students shouldn't pack their car the day (or days) before they plan to leave. Cars sitting unattended in the parking lot, full of students belongings, are attractive targets for thieves.

If students see suspicious behavior in the residence hall or have become a victim of theft, they should contact the University of Missouri Police Department at 573-882-7201 as well as residence hall staff members.