Keeping yourself safe:         

Always be aware of your surroundings. If you think you might be in a dangerous situation, get out of it. Walk into a building or call Campus Security. Do anything to protect yourself from potential danger. It’s easier to get out of trouble before it happens.

Don’t walk alone at night. If you do not have anyone to walk with, call Campus Security for an escort. This service is intended for your safety, and not a convenient ride service. Escorts are mainly done by Student Patrol Officers. If you’re walking somewhere off campus, walk on Market Street. This street is a witness-rich environment. Should anything happen. It is also lit up, allowing you to see a potential attacker.

Lock your door. Elizabethtown College may seem like its own little bubble, but you still need to take precautions. This is also a good habit to get into before graduating into the “real” world. You never know where you’re going to end up living! Even if you’re just going down the hall, it only takes a second for someone to sneak in your room, steal something and get back to their room. Also, since no one listens to the “don’t hold the door open” rule, visitors have free access to the dorms. This means you have no idea who will pass by your room at any given moment.

Be able to defend yourself. Don’t wait until you find yourself in a confrontation. The will to survive is not as important as being prepared. Campus Security offers R.A.D. self-defense classes for women of the campus community free of charge. Contact Dale Boyer at Campus Security to participate in a class.
Know your limit. Life is too short to have nights you don’t remember, and as you get older, it will be harder to remember these days already. Plus, your friends will get tired of carrying you home every weekend. When you are heavily intoxicated, you also put yourself at greater risk for an attack or an alcohol-related illness as you lose control of yourself and don’t think decisions through. It’s fine to have a few drinks with your friends when you’re 21, but don’t have so many that you put yourself in danger.

Program Campus Security’s emergency number, (717) 361-1111, into your phone. Chances are you will call 911 before Campus Security’s number because that is what you’ve been taught since preschool, and in an emergency people tend to go on autopilot. If you have this number in your phone, you are more likely to call it first.  They can get to the scene quicker than if the call goes through the Borough’s dispatch. You should also know where all the blue lights are on campus.

Report any crime or suspicious activity as soon as possible. The sooner you notify Campus Security, the sooner they can respond. This is particularly true of strangers in residence halls. If possible, get a description of the person including size, hair and eye color, clothing, etc.

Think first. Nerve damage sucks. At this age, it’s hard to think about the consequences of your actions, but part of college is learning how to be an adult and thrive in the real world. Being an adult means accepting the fact that sometimes Mom and Dad are right. Even something as innocent as climbing on a gate could lead to serious consequences (like the nerve damage mentioned before).

Keeping your belongings safe:

Don’t leave your belongings lying around. In addition to the obvious theft risk, you could confuse your items with similar ones. For example, there’s only a limited number of umbrella designs. Can you be sure that you can choose which black umbrella is yours out of five? No. So, just take your stuff with you so you don’t end up with someone else’s stuff, and no one ends up with yours.

Always lock your bike when you’re not using it. Even if you’re just running into a building to get something. Wouldn’t you hate to lose your precious beach cruiser?

Consider investing in a small lock box or safe to keep valuables or unusually large amounts of money secured.

Write down serial numbers of big-ticket items such as computers, TVs, bikes etc.

Specific questions or concerns can be addressed to Dale Boyer, Assistant Director of Campus Security.