Students living on or off campus should not let down their guard when it comes to safety as the result of police arresting a suspect in series of break-ins in the vicinity of the university, said Elgin Austen, Director of Campus Police Services.
Bradley Priestap, 47, of London, who has a history of sexual assault convictions, faces numerous charges related to break-ins and voyeurism.
At the start of the school year this fall, students were provided with safety education. Austen said, however, it is important to reinforce steps that people can take to safeguard themselves. “While London is a generally a safe community, crime can happen anywhere,” he said. Austen said that is why it is important to regularly reinforce the kinds of measures that we should all be aware of and use.
Some of those safety tips include:
- Keep your doors locked when you are going out, even if it’s only for a short time
- Never leave doors propped open as someone could slip in
- Walk with a friend at night or call the Foot Patrol, which provides a free escort service on campus as well as to off-site neighbourhoods near Western.
- When you are entering an apartment building or residence with a controlled entry, don’t let people you don’t know enter with you. You may feel your being unkind by denying them access, but your diligence will help keep everyone safe
- If you see suspicious behaviours, call 911 and report it to police
Other safety tips can be found on the campus police website.
Get the “iWestern” app for your cell phone. It’s in the app store now and provides a ‘Safe Campus’ addition and contact information for support resources on campus