Safety

General student safety tips

Whether you live off campus or just visiting someone off campus, these tips from the Illinois State University Policecan help you stay safe.

• Call the police immediately if you see or hear something suspicious. Report any crime or suspicion of a crime at once. Dial 911 in an emergency or when a crime is in progress. Of campus calls to 911 will take you to the Normal Police Department. The Normal Police Department's nonemergency number is (309) 454-9535.
• Keep your possessions in sight at all times. Don’t leave books or backpacks unattended anywhere, it only takes a matter of seconds for things to disappear.
• Lock your door! Even if you leave your apartment or house for only a few minutes, it’s much easier to invest a few seconds securing your property, rather than spending the time later filing a police report and replacing the property.
• Avoid bringing wallets, money, jewelry, or other valuables in athletic facilities and storing them in lockers, which are targets of thieves.
• Mark your property (including text books).
• Be aware of your surroundings, other people around you, and places where someone could be hiding.
• Be alert to potential danger. If it doesn’t look or feel right, trust your instinct and leave.
• Walk with friends whenever possible. Use Connect Transit or Redbird Safe Walkif you can’t find someone to go with you. Walking alone while intoxicated increases the risk of theft or assault.
• Avoid jogging or bicycling alone. If you must go alone, stay in well-lit and well-traveled areas.
• Don’t leave objects plainly visible in your car; remove them or secure them in the trunk whenever possible. Be sure to hide cords and accessories to expensive electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, and cell phones.

Normal Police also reminds students that the Constitution Trail hours are one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset. Constitution Trail is not lit and should not be used as a thoroughfare after the trail closes. Use of the trail after hours increases the risk of theft or assault.

School break safety tips

Student apartments can become targets for burglary during holiday breaks. To keep your possessions and residences safe, utilize these safety tips:

• Do not pack your car the night before you go home.
• Lock all doors and windows before you leave your residence.
• Keep valuables such as computers, gaming systems, iPods, or jewelry out of plain view.
• When leaving for extended breaks, take all valuable items with you.
• Keep a master list of larger, valuable items with make, model, and serial numbers, or you can take pictures.
• Ask a friend to keep an eye on your residence while you are away.
• Leave your curtains exactly as you usually keep them when you are home, since noticeable changes could hint that you are not there.
• Unplug your television, computer, toaster oven, and other appliances to protect them from power surges.

Especially in winter, remember to pay close attention to parking bans that occur during snowfall so you do not receive a parking ticket. Refer to the Town of Normal website for more information or follow the Town of Normal on Twitter for updates.