It’s safe to assume that many of us have heard the term “stranger danger” before. This means that if someone you don’t know approaches you and tries to strike up a conversation, you should automatically become aware of your surroundings.
This phrase is especially true when living on your own for the first time. It may be common courtesy to be friendly to strangers, but be wary of their intentions. What may at first be a seemingly regular encounter could be brimming with malicious purposes.
Now, that’s not to say that you shouldn’t talk to anyone that you don’t immediately recognize. But if someone is loitering around outside a dorm building or apartment and asks for you to let them in, don’t automatically open the door for them. Think about if you know the person or have seen them around. If you haven’t, the wisest thing to do is not open the door.
On multiple occasions, people have followed Bradley students into the dorm buildings without the student realizing what has happened. The best thing to do when entering any building is to double check behind you before the door closes.
In light of recent instances of some students attempting – and sometimes succeeding – to enter another person’s room without consent, always lock the door to your dorm, apartment or off-campus house. Doing so only takes an extra few seconds of your time and prevents a potentially horrifying event from happening.
If you are in an unsafe situation outside, the emergency blue light posts are a good resource to keep in mind. In addition to the phone function, the posts brighten up the sidewalks around campus.
Wherever you happen to be, if you notice any suspicious behavior around campus, notify the BUPD non-emergency number at (309) 677-2000 or dial 911.
