As winter break fades into a fond memory and students get back into their spring semester routines (including enduring a blast of Cleveland winter air that makes everyone reconsider why, exactly they didn’t apply to the University of the Bahamas), the Case Western Reserve University Police Department would like to remind everyone to wear mittens and gloves and talk about a recent series of burglaries that have occurred in the University Circle area.

Over winter break, CWRU and University Circle police took a series of reports regarding burglaries, primarily to apartments on the north side of campus. As a result, we would like to pass on the following tips:

• When you leave your residence, make sure that all doors and windows (especially ground floor windows) are locked. It is also a good idea to do this before going to sleep. Even if you live in a residence hall, leaving doors open or valuables visible can result in theft.
• Don’t leave doors or windows propped open, and don’t leave spare keys under floor mats, garden gnomes, or other obvious places. In the case of residence halls, the university has made an investment in card access and other technologies that are nullified if doors are propped.
• If you see someone trying door handles or peering into windows, call CWRU PD at 216-368-3333 and give us the location and a brief description of what’s going on. We will take it from there; there is no need to confront potential prowlers alone. This activity can also occur in daylight hours when burglars know people are at work.
• If you see someone inside your building that you don’t recognize or acting suspiciously, give us a call. Maybe it’s the pizza guy, maybe not. Guests in residence halls should be escorted by the resident while inside per housing policy. Let’s keep an eye out for each other and get through Artic Blast 2013 together. On the Beat welcomes feedback at policecolumn@case.edu.