Locking Up is Necessary to Ensure Safety in Dorms

Taylor Conrad

As summer months descend upon Mills, students may find themselves leaving their doors and windows open to escape from the stuffiness of their dorm rooms.

Director of Public Safety Dan Brown would like to remind students that before leaving their dorm rooms, they should lock all windows and doors.

“Bad guys won’t come around if it’s not easy for them,” Brown said. “Almost every theft on campus has been a result of someone leaving their window or door unlocked.”

With 55 first floor dorm rooms in Orchard Meadow, 59 in Warren Olney and 38 in Ethel Moore, Assistant Vice President Karen Maggio believes that as long as everything is locked up, residents are safe.

“Generally speaking this is a very safe campus, but we need to lock our doors and windows when we’re not there,” Maggio said. “I’m also concerned with doors being propped open and students letting people they don’t know enter the residence halls.”

According to a Public Safety report there have been 14 petty thefts, one grand theft, one burglary and two attempts of theft or burglary this semester.

Junior Mikhail Haramati is a resident in Orchard Meadow Hall and believes that living on the first floor increases the risk of a break in.

“When I’m gone for the weekend, I sometimes wonder if my stuff is still going to be there when I get back,” Haramati said.

As a first floor resident she takes safety precautions into her own hands.

“I lock my door all the time. I don’t go to the bathroom or the kitchen without locking my door,” Haramati said.

Junior Scottie Hall lives in Ethel Moore. Her room is located just one door down from Lizzy Schwartz’s room, which was broken into last month, and over $1,000 worth of personal belongings were stolen.

“I’m a lot more uncomfortable about living here now,” Hall said.

Hall is now very careful about locking up her windows and doors before she leaves her room. Next semester she is planning on living on the second floor.

“I like to leave my windows open,” Hall said. “I just can’t do that on the first floor.”

Maggio said, “We think we are safe at Mills, so we don’t take the safety precautions we would take if we lived off campus.”