Theft refers to an act of secretly stealing the property of the state, the collective, or others for the purpose of illegal possession. It is the most common and deeply despised illegal and criminal behavior among people, teachers, and students. Theft cases are the most common among all types of cases occurring on university campuses, accounting for over 90%.

Classified by the perpetrator, theft cases can be divided into three types: external theft, internal theft, and internal and external collusion theft. A few college students are not strict with themselves, their outlook on life and values are distorted, their legal awareness is weak, and they pursue fashion regardless of their families and their own economic affordability, which leads to stealing without money to spend, and gradually embarking on the path of crime. This is one of the reasons for the rising number of theft cases on university campuses.

1 The characteristics of campus theft cases in universities

Generally, theft cases have the following commonalities: There is a premeditated and prepared peeping process before the theft is carried out, and traces, fingerprints, footprints, physical evidence, etc. are usually left at the scene of the theft. The means and methods of theft are often habitual. There are stolen funds and stolen goods that can be traced. Due to the particularity of the objective location and the perpetrator, campus theft cases in universities have a series of characteristics as follows:

(1) Time selectivity: The perpetrator cannot steal when there is someone, and the perpetrator must choose to commit the theft when there is no one at the place of the crime. For example, during class, when students go to the classroom for classes, the perpetrator will go to the dormitory. During off work hours or holidays, laboratories, offices, accounting rooms, and computer rooms are usually unmanned, and perpetrators will take advantage of the situation to enter.

(2) Objective accuracy: There are many cases of internal theft in universities. The perpetrator has a clear understanding of the location of the finance and computer rooms. The perpetrator has a basic understanding of which student has money or valuable items, where they are often placed, whether they are locked in boxes or cabinets, where the keys are placed. Once the target is very accurate, they often get it very quickly.

(3) Technical intelligence: The main perpetrators of theft cases in universities are generally highly educated and intelligent individuals, some of whom are college students themselves. They have exceptional intelligence, are relatively intelligent, and have higher theft skills than ordinary thieves. They often use your key to open your lock, or use can skins to make keys, etc., to carry out theft activities.

(4) Continuity in committing crimes: As mentioned above, it is precisely because the perpetrator is relatively intelligent that it is easy for them to succeed in their first crime. After success, the perpetrator often develops a sense of luck, coupled with the delay in reporting or solving the case, making it easy for the perpetrator to repeatedly commit crimes and form a certain degree of continuity.

2 Methods of theft in university campus theft cases

(1) The perpetrator took advantage of the owner’s unpreparedness and seized the money and belongings placed on the table, hallway, balcony, and other places.

(2) The perpetrator took advantage of the owner’s absence and unlocked door drawers to steal. This type of perpetrator, whether it is cash, passbooks, credit cards, or valuable items, as soon as they are shown, they will all be stolen.

(3) The perpetrator used tools such as bamboo poles to hook away the victim’s clothes outside the window. Some even broke the windows and hooked away the clothes left by the victims on the table or bed. Therefore, students living on the first floor or other floors near corridor windows are easily victimized if they lack vigilance.

(4) The perpetrator climbed over windows, and other areas without solid protective measures to commit burglary. After stealing the desired money and property, the perpetrator often leaves through the gate, making it difficult to detect the thief.

(5) The perpetrator used various tools to pry open the door lock and commit the theft.

(6) The perpetrator used the keys that the victim had casually lost to open the victim’s lock, including the door lock, drawer lock, and box lock, while the victim was not in the dormitory, in order to steal cash and valuable items. These types of perpetrators are mostly people who are familiar with the victims.

3 Basic methods for university campus theft prevention

There are three basic methods for preventing theft: manpower prevention, physical prevention, and technical prevention. Among them, manpower prevention is the only reliable method to prevent and stop theft crimes. Physical prevention is the most widely used basic protective measure. Technical prevention, on the other hand, is a more covert and reliable preventive measure that can detect intrusions in real time, replace manpower protection, and avoid fatigue and laziness, allowing for prolonged vigilance. For college students, the most important thing is to do a good job in preventing theft in classrooms and dormitories, and protect their own and classmates’ property. This is not only a personal matter, but also a major concern for the entire dormitory, class, and even university students.

The theft prevention in student dormitories and classrooms on university campuses should pay attention to the following points:

(1) The last student to leave the classroom or dormitory should close the windows and lock the doors, and never be afraid of trouble. Students must develop the habit of turning off lights, closing windows, and locking doors at will, in order to prevent theft and criminals from entering.

(2) Do not stay overnight with outsiders. Students should be civilized, polite, and hospitable, but they must not only focus on loyalty and emotions without principles or discipline. If you violate the management regulations of the school’s student dormitories and stay overnight with people who don’t know the details, it is equivalent to inviting wolves into the room and you will regret it. This lesson is painful.

(3) People with suspicious appearances should be vigilant and pay more attention. When the perpetrators steal in the classroom and dormitory, they often find various excuses, such as finding someone or promoting certain products. If they find that management is lax, they are free to enter and exit, and the door is wide open, they will walk back and forth, look around, wait for the opportunity to act, figure out the situation, and then pry the door and twist the lock to commit theft. When encountering such suspicious persons, students should ask them. If the visitor has a legitimate reason, they can generally make it clear. If the visitor can’t give a valid reason, and can’t tell the basic situation of the university, his expression will inevitably panic, he needs to be further questioned, and if necessary, he can also be told to the police to show his ID card, student ID card, work permit and other proof of identity. If the identity is verified to be correct and no evidence of theft is found, they can be asked to leave. If it is found that someone is carrying evidence such as tools or stolen goods, on the one hand, someone can be sent to talk to them to delay time, and on the other hand, the school security department can be called to investigate and handle the case as soon as possible.

(4) Students should actively participate in safety duty in classrooms and dormitories, and assist the school security department in carrying out safety precautions. By participating in security and prevention work practices such as duty and patrol, not only can one protect the safety of their own and others’ property, but also enhance their awareness of security and theft prevention, and develop their social practice skills.

(5) Pay attention to keeping your keys safe, including those in classrooms, dormitories, luggage, drawers, and other areas. Do not lend them to others or litter them to prevent unauthorized guests from copying or stealing.

4 Theft prevention measures for several special items

(1) Cash: Cash is the preferred target for all thefts. The best way to keep cash is to deposit it in a bank. Especially when the amount is large, it should be deposited into the bank in a timely manner. Passwords should choose numbers that are easy to remember and not easy to decrypt, and never use your own date of birth as a password. This is because once the passbook is lost, it is easy for familiar people to impersonate it. It is particularly important to note that passbooks, credit cards, and other documents should not be placed together with one’s ID card, student ID card, or other documents to prevent theft and fraudulent claims. When depositing and withdrawing funds in a bank, the password should be checked quietly and quickly, and avoid shouting loudly. After discovering the loss of the passbook, one should immediately report it to the bank where it was deposited.

(2) Various types of valuable cards: Currently, most schools have widely used credit cards issued by various banks for account settlement. Students do not need to bring large amounts of cash to the school to pay fees. Canteens also commonly use various magnetic cards to buy food, and telephone magnetic cards have long been popular. These valuable cards should be properly stored to prevent loss or theft. The best way to keep various valuable cards is to put them in your personal pocket. The password used must be kept confidential and should not be easily disclosed to anyone. If it is necessary to take off clothes when participating in sports activities such as exercise, you should lock various valuable cards in your own box and keep your keys safe.

(3) Bicycle: Bicycle theft is a major social hazard. University campus is no exception. When buying a new bicycle, you must go to the relevant department to complete the household registration procedures. This is because some criminals choose bicycles without steel stamps to steal for the convenience of selling stolen goods, and once bicycles without steel stamps are lost, they are difficult to be found. To install anti-theft bicycle locks, cultivate the habit of parking and locking at will. It is best to spend money to park your bicycle in a storage area when riding to public places. If the parking time is long, it is best to reinforce anti-theft facilities, such as fixing the bicycle lock on an object or placing it indoors. Once a bicycle is lost, it should be reported to the school security department immediately, and valid documents, certificates, and other relevant information should be provided for timely investigation.

(4) Other valuable items: Such as gold jewelry, phone, watches, high-end clothing, etc., that have not been used for a long time should be taken home or entrusted to a reliable person for safekeeping. When not in use temporarily, it is best to lock it in a drawer or box (cabinet) to prevent theft. The door lock of the dormitory should be able to prevent prying, and windows that are easy to climb over should be equipped with anti-theft nets. The key to the door lock should not be placed or lost casually. It is best to intentionally put some special marks on valuable items and clothes, even if they are stolen, the likelihood of being recovered in the future will be higher.

5 Response measures for theft cases

Once a theft case occurs, students must calmly respond:

(1) Immediately report to the school security department, and block and protect the scene, prohibiting anyone from entering. Do not flip through the items on site, and do not rush to check if your belongings are lost. This is of great significance for police to accurately analyze and correctly determine the scope of reconnaissance and collect criminal evidence.

(2) If a suspect is found, immediately organize classmates to intercept and report to the police.

(3) Cooperate with the investigation and objectively answer the questions raised by the police in a truthful and objective manner. Proactively provide clues and shall not conceal the situation without reporting it. The police has the obligation and responsibility to keep the information confidential for the students who provide it.

(4) If you find your passbook stolen, you should report it to the bank as soon as possible.