Safety Essentials

1
Safety Essentials
2
What this talk will tell you about

• Services that support you
• How to protect yourself and your possessions
• What to do if you are a victim of crime
• How to use the Student Advice Centre, Police and
• University Security Services

3
Services that support you

• Health and Safety Services
• - Accident Prevention and Response to Incidents
• Email safety_at_leeds.ac.uk
• University Security Services and West Yorkshire
  Police
• - Crime Prevention and Response to Incidents
• Email crimeprevention_at_leeds.ac.uk
• Email twsi_at_westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk
• Student Advice Centre in the Students Union
• - Help to report crime
• - Help with problems resulting from crime
• Email advice _at_luu.leeds.ac.uk

4
Protect yourself and your possessions

• Follow your schools health and safety guidelines
• Follow the standard security and safety advice
  for a UK city
• Read
• Stay Safe, Stay Secure
• Keeping Safe section of the International
  Student Handbook
• www.knowledge-leeds.co.uk
• Include safety and security in your daily
  routine. Stay safe on campus, in your
  accommodation and in the city. Be one of the 80
  of students who dont have any problems with crime

5
Protect yourself and your possessions

• Most common crimes affecting students
• - burglaries, theft from cars and bicycle theft
• Good protection
• Timer switch Curtains closed at night
• UV (ultra violet) pen Valuables out of sight
• Bicycle shackle lock Locked doors and windows
• Sports bag Insurance
• Not legal !
• Pocket knife
• Spray
• Any other weapon

6
In your accommodation

• Lock your front door even when you are in your
  accommodation
• Lock windows when you leave your room even to
  go to the bathroom. No window is too small for a
  thief!
• Make it look as though you are at home when you
  are out
• Use an ultra violet (UV) pen to mark your
  property with UoL and your student ID number
• Buy insurance if you live in the private-sector

7
On campus and in the street

• Most common risks
• - anti-social behaviour (e.g. people who have had
  too much alcohol or naughty children or teenagers
  shouting offensive things)
• - theft of laptops and mobile phones, theft from
  cars
• Keep mobile phones, laptops and money hidden in
  the street
• Never leave your laptop, bag, mobile phone
  unsupervised in the library, cafés etc, even for
  a few seconds
• Avoid confrontation - dont respond if someone
  bumps into you or shouts/talks rudely to you
• Only walk in well-lit areas. After dark, walk in
  a group or use the LUU Night bus or a licensed
  taxi. If you dont have money with you, Amber
  taxis will accept your student card instead of
  money 0113 231 1366. You can pay later.

8

• LUU Night bus
• Takes all students travelling alone and women
  travelling in pairs from the Students Union
  entrance, to your doorstep. Tickets are 50p
• Book in advance before 7pm at LUU reception to
  guarantee your place, or arrive early and pay at
  the entrance to LUU after 7pm
• Timetable on www.luuonline.com/nightbus

9
What to do if you are a victim of crime

• Get support from the Student Advice Centre as
  well as your friends
• Report all crime to the Police, including hate
  incidents e.g. racist comments, even if you
  think you can provide no evidence
• Dont risk injury or prosecution by challenging
  the criminal.
• Self defence is only the action essential for
  you to escape. Its illegal to carry a weapon
• Tell your tutor/supervisor if you think your
  studies may be affected by the incident

10
What to expect when you contact the Student
Advice Service

• You can talk to an adviser privately about what
  has happened and how the experience has affected
  you
• The Student Advice Centre (upstairs in the
  Students Union) can help you to-
• inform services such as the police, your bank or
  mobile phone provider
• present evidence of mitigating circumstances to
  your school
• explain your case to an external organisation,
  for example a sponsor if you need an extension
• get counselling support and medical assistance

11
When to report to the Police

• If someone steals something from you
• If your house or a vehicle is damaged or broken
  into
• If someone calls you names or abuses you because
  of your race/religion/disability/sexual
  orientation/gender identity or if you see
  offensive graffiti (writing/drawing in public
  areas) Hate Crime
• If you are threatened or attacked or if you
  witness an incident
• If you lose some property or find something
  belonging to someone else

12
How to report a crime and get help

• For general advice and information contact PC
  Carole Munsey Police Student Liaison Officer.
  Phone [phone]
• Email twsi_at_westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk
• To get help when you, someone else or your
  property is in immediate danger, phone 999
• For non-emergency reports or queries, phone 0845
  6060606
• Report hate incidents to the Police or Stop Hate
  UK 0800 138 1625
• Other Hate Incident Reporting Centres
  International Student Office and Student Advice
  Centre

13
What to expect when you report to the Police

• Its usual to report by phone. The operator takes
  the details and prioritises your call
• If you are in an emergency situation the police
  response will be immediate
• In other situations the operator will give you a
  reference number and explain what will happen
  next
• If you wish to use an interpreter, you can ask
  the operator to arrange this for you

14
What happens after you report to the Police

• An officer may visit, take a written statement
  from youand give advice about safety and victim
  support services
• Even if the police dont visit or contact you
  again after an incident, you can be sure your
  report is valuable
• Your report can be used with other similar
  reports to help the police identify criminals and
  problem areas
• The police will add your report to local crime
  statistics
• - this will help them use resources effectively
  to prevent future crime

15
What happens after you report to the Police

• Officers may walk/drive around the area to look
  for the criminal
• Officers may check CCTV evidence and ask possible
  witnesses if they saw anything relating to the
  crime
• In some cases your stolen property may be
  recovered
• If there is enough evidence, the person who
  committed the crime may be taken to court - this
  can be a long process
• Depending on the type of crime, you may get a
  letter from the police about action they have
  taken

16
When to report an incident to University
Security Services

• If the crime has taken place on campus or in
  University accommodation
• If you want to be sure the University is aware of
  a security problem
• If you lose some property or find something
  belonging to someone else on campus

17
How to get help from University Security Services

• For immediate help when you, someone else or your
  property is in immediate danger, phone [phone]
  2222
• For non-emergency reports or queries, phone 0113
  343 5494
• Visit the Security Office (24 hours), near the
  main entrance barrier next to the Parkinson
  Building

18
Things to remember

• 80 of students have no problems with crime
• To be one of the 80 you need to include safety
  precautions in your daily routine
• If you are unlucky enough to be a victim of crime
  you can get help and support from the Student
  Advice Centre
• Report any crime to the Police, even if you think
  you have no evidence
• Report crime on campus or in University
  accommodation to University Security
• Stay safe and enjoy your time in Leeds!