College Students Beware of Theft

PRLog (Press Release) - Aug 13, 2008 -
Recently released crime statistics for North Carolina show the larceny crime rate for North Carolina State University (NCSU) was 4.4% in 2007 versus a statewide rate of just 2.6%, showing college students are 1.7 times more likely to experience theft than the rest of the population.  NCSU's main campus in downtown Raleigh reported 335 larceny incidents in 2007 totaling $146,420 in losses.  NCSU also reported 51 burglaries in 2007, totaling $281,552 in losses.

According to Jim Stahl, President and CEO of OneStep Systems LLC and father of two college graduate students and one undergraduate student, thefts on and around college campuses are an unfortunate reality. He notes several things can be done to minimize the chance of students becoming victims and to mitigate the affects if they are victimized.

Most thefts are crimes of opportunity so the first thing to do is to decrease the opportunities. Standard prevention tips include: close and lock windows as well as room and car doors, keep valuables out of sight and locked up if possible, park in well lighted areas, and don’t give your keys to anyone.

To decrease the worry about being a victim, and minimize the distress and loss in case a student suffers a theft, Stahl points to two things students can do. First, make sure there is adequate insurance coverage...for a laptop, iPod, cell phone, bicycle, game system, etc.  Parents’ homeowner’s policies may or may not provide that coverage. Find out if the property you keep in your dorm room, apartment, condo or car is or can be covered by an existing homeowner’s policy. If not, renter’s insurance or student property insurance policies are available and are worth consideration.

The second thing that can help is for students to document what they own. Having adequate documentation, including photos and serial numbers, will assist in reporting thefts to campus and law enforcement officials and increase the chances for recovery. An up-to-date inventory list will also provide proof-of-loss so that insurance claims can be quickly and accurately processed. Stahl notes that 1StepInventory.com is a simple, inexpensive (50¢/month) way for students and parents to document personal property. 1StepInventory.com stores property inventory documentation on a secure network server so if a PC is stolen, lost or damaged, the inventory list is still safe and available. As significantly, 1StepInventory is the only inventory software that allows students to update an inventory list simply by emailing photos from a cell phone. Go to http://www.1stepinventory.com to learn more and to sign up for a free trial.