<p>How prevalent is it?</p>
<p>I'm a photographer, and I kinda wanna bring my camera to school, but then I'm afraid it may get stolen, even if I leave it in my dorm room. How safe is it there? Is it like any other university, or worse, or better?</p>
<p>Tips on keeping my stuff safe would also be helpful. Thanks!</p>
<p>Well…I’m not sure if there’s more theft at Berkeley than at other campuses, but there definitely is some, both in and out of the dorms. Sometimes you get an extreme case like those three guys who broke into Clark, but about 99% of the time it’s just opportunistic. In other words, have some common sense and you’ll be fine:
-keep it in a secure case with a lock if you’re taking it anywhere for a pic
-keep your door closed if you’re not in your room
-don’t leave it in a common room or anything like that (I know people who’ve lost laptops this way).
-if you live on one of the lower floors, keep your windows closed if you’re not around and your camera out of plain sight</p>
<p>I was in the same position because I’m an amateur photographer as well. Depending on how much equipment you are planning to bring, it shouldn’t be too hard to conceal. I kept my camera in a camera bag, and just hid it in my closet. It was really well-disguised because it was out of plain sight. For the most part, the security in the dorms (having to scan your Cal1Card every day starting in the evening, the key access to the stairs/elevators, the locks on the doors) really prevents any strangers from stealing your stuff. The students you’ll be living with hopefully aren’t thievish, and as long as you can trust your floor, you should be fine. Also, don’t go around flashing around your goods. That would attract unnecessary attention.</p>
<p>Insure it-dorm insurance</p>
<p>It should be fine. Most people I know almost never used their laptop locks, and those who did weren’t so much worried about theft as they were about someone taking it and pulling a prank on it. If you’re careful with your things, it should be fine. Although that’s not to say that it’ll be guaranteed safe… there were definitely a few instances of strangers (non Berkeley students) coming in to the dorms for various dubious reasons. But the doors automatically lock and are pretty secure and there are usually many people around as witnesses all hours of the day.</p>