Police advise students to stay safe as term time approaches

Recently the force roled out a campaign in the west of Scotland, working with student associations to press home the message of keeping safe.

Police Scotland aims to arm students at universities and colleges with the tools to keep themselves and their belongings safe.

Key areas being highlighted to students include: Party safe – being aware of the dangers of drinking to excess, drugs, theft, getting home safe etc; Home Safe – home security, rogue landlords, being fraud aware etc; Property Safe – how to prevent theft of laptops, mobiles, tablets etc; Online Safety – the perils of social media, online retail and phishing; Identity Safe – protecting yourself and your accounts online.

Students can experience being victims of crime by having phones, laptops and tablets stolen, leave themselves vulnerable to cybercrime or fraud or get themselves into vulnerable situations after having too much to drink. By providing advice on how to stay safe, not just on campus but at home and online too, Police Scotland aims to provide students with the best start to their university life.

Chief Inspector Brian Shaw, said: “The Student Safety Campaign will help provide advice on how students can keep themselves safe during their time in further education and beyond. By following the simple advice provided through the campaign this will increase their awareness of safety issues leading to a more enjoyable time on campus.”