Staying safe in Edinburgh

Hello and welcome to this 'How to stay safe and secure' information session, during the course of which I hope to offer some basic general advice regarding keeping yourself and your valuables safe here at the University of Edinburgh. My name's Neil Doig, Crime Prevention Officer, working with the University of Edinburgh Security team. 

Edinburgh, in general terms is one of the safest cities in the UK. We experience low levels of crime compared to other European cities. But please remember that Edinburgh is a major world city, and we experience similar social and economic problems to others, and that there are people who move amongst us whose outlook on life for whatever reason, is not what we would wish. Please stay vigilant, especially in crowded areas. 

Try to use well lit busy streets and always have your mobile phone handy, just in case you should ever have to use it. Keep an eye your belongings and always be aware of your surroundings. The University of Edinburgh Security team. The men and the women in the red jackets, available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week should you ever require our services. 

Our main contact number is 0131-650-2257. And you can find that on the back of every student and staff card for easy reference. We have three main set area locations in the central campus area in Infirmary Street, at Easter Bush, at the Vet School, and on the bio quarter on the Little France campus. 

Please remember our telephone number is on the back of your card. Please protect your valuables. Be aware that the vast majority of buildings at the university are open to all Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. The University offers us a very unique, friendly and open environment to which all are welcome. But that can lead to some security issues. Please don't give thieves a chance. Please don't leave your valuables unattended. Should you see anything suspicious or anybody acting in a suspicious way, please let us know. Our telephone number is on the back of your card. There are many thousands of students attending the university. 

The likelihood is that somebody will lose or misplace either mobile phone or their laptop during the course of the semesters. That being the case, you should report all lost property to the police and to my department. And you will be asked some questions. For example, your mobile phone, the make, the model, the colour. Who was your service provider? What was your mobile phone number? And in particular, the IMEI number, which is a unique number embedded into every handset in the world. It cannot be changed. And it offers an opportunity to identify specific pieces of property. And how you find that is by dialling  *#06# on your keypad. The same with your laptop, the make, the model, the colour, the serial number, the screen size. Has it been marked in any way to make it unique to you? For example, have you used an ultra violet marker pen to put your student number or name on it, to make it unique and more readily identifiable? Many, many students now, and members of staff, take the opportunity to cycle to the university. 

Bikes are becoming an increasingly valuable commodity. Should you decide to purchase a bike during your time here in Edinburgh, please secure it to a fixed object in a busy, well-lit area in view of the CCTV cameras, and considering varying your routines so as it's not parked in the same place at the same time every day. Use an appropriate lock, that represents 10% of the value of the bike. 

And consider perhaps installing a tracker. Remove all the small parts from your bike, and be aware that we offer advertised security marking sessions, and we can provide you with cut-price D locks during events that will be advertised during the course of the semesters. Here in Edinburgh, we are served by a National Police force, Police Scotland. The streets around the university are public streets to which the police have the main responsibility for keeping safe and secure. Should you require the police here in Scotland, you can do it in various ways. In an emergency by dialling 999, in a non-emergency by dialling 101, or using their online portal, which you can find on their website. 

The University of Edinburgh Security Team work hand in hand with the police. To try and keep Edinburgh and the campuses as safe and secure as possible. You can keep up to date with things that may be of interest to you by following the University Security team's social media account on X formerly known as Twitter, or by visiting our website, the details of which you can see on the screen. The University of Edinburgh Security team, the men and the women in the red jackets, available 24 hours every day to respond and assist. Our telephone number can be found on the back of your card. Thank you for listening. I hope you found some of this information beneficial. Please look after yourselves and help us keep Edinburgh University as safe and secure as it can be. Thank you again.