Protection of Property

The majority of crimes that are committed on the Middlebury College campus involve the theft of personal property. Larcenies are crimes of opportunity and occur primarily when property is left in unlocked or unattended areas. In an attempt to alleviate this problem, the Department of Public Safety makes the following recommendations:

Residential locations

Avoid bringing large amounts of cash or valuables to campus or your residence.
Keep items of value out of sight. If you must keep cash or valuables in your room for short periods of time, do not store them in obvious hiding places like desks or dressers.
Never lend out the key to your room or residence.
If you live in a dormitory, take your room key to the shower with you. Do not leave it in your robe or clothing, where someone going through your pockets can find it.
When leaving your vehicle at a service station or parking garage, leave only the ignition key.
Participate in the Midd Watch Program.
When leaving for vacations, store valuables such as stereos and televisions out of sight. During summer recess, do not leave valuables in student storage areas. These areas are not secure and the College is not responsible for the loss of property. The Department of Public Safety does have a secure storage area. To learn more about storage go to the DPS website.
Check with your family insurance agent to determine if your property is properly covered under your parent’s homeowner’s insurance. If not, you should consider purchasing your own insurance.