“We don't have a lot of times where people actually force entry into residences or cars,” Ojerio said. “But what we do have is a lot of crimes where people just leave their doors unlocked, and then they get their stuff taken out of their cars or out of their houses.” 

Computer science senior Quin Strausbaugh said his main concern living off campus is the possibility of someone breaking into his residence. Because of this, he always locks his front door while sleeping. 

“It's just one of my fears I have, so I always have my doors locked at night,” Strausbaugh said. 

Communications senior Mary Lapratt said she also worries about a potential break-in. In addition to locking her front door, she added a door stopper. 

Lapratt also said she and her roommates have several objects in their apartment to feel more safe and warn off potential intruders: a baseball bat next to the door, pepper spray and a stun gun.

Ojerio said another way to increase public safety is to watch out for neighbors and if there's suspicious activity, don’t hesitate to report it. 

“One of the best crime prevention tips that we like to push is that if you see something, say something, which goes in line with watching out for your neighbors," Ojerio said. 

He said students waiting to report suspicious activity is one of the most common mistakes. 

“The other thing that we wish that younger students would do is when something suspicious does happen, that they don't wait," Ojerio said. "Don't call your friends or your parents. They wait an hour and then call us; that doesn't help." 

 Lapratt said she felt safer living in the dorms because of the resources available for students. 

"There's so many more people, and there's dedicated police for campus," Lapratt said. "Living off campus, having less resources and just relying on yourself or your roommates, or just the city police, it just feels a little bit less secure. You're more exposed to external forces.” 

Quinn said safety should be a priority when choosing an off-campus housing location. For him, that meant living in a house close to campus.

“Living in an apartment has different dangers than living in a house too," Quinn said. "I've lived in both, but I prefer living in a house at least closer to campus because I feel like I have more awareness of who's coming and going."

Ojerio said East Lansing offers a digital crime map for those who want to be aware of the incidents that occur in their area and online reporting for minor crimes.