WVU Police Advise Students on Home Safety Measures
Officials offer guidance following a spike in on-campus burglaries and total reported offenses.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Property Crime
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West Virginia University police are urging students to prioritize home security after on-campus housing reported 612 total offenses in 2025. This move follows a nearly 8% increase in overall reported incidents and a significant rise in burglaries compared to 2024.
Why it matters
Law enforcement emphasizes that many incidents are crimes of opportunity, prompting calls for students to lock doors and avoid sharing travel plans on social media. These precautions aim to mitigate security risks and help protect property within student housing facilities.
There were 612 reported offenses in on-campus student housing during 2025, an increase of nearly 8% from the previous year. Additionally, officials recorded 17 burglaries, marking an increase of nearly 90% since 2024.
The players
West Virginia University Police Department
This agency is responsible for maintaining safety and security for the university community and its housing facilities.
The details
Police recommend that students record the serial numbers of their personal valuables to aid in identification and recovery efforts. The department also encourages the use of the Live Safe app, which includes a panic button designed to transmit a user's GPS coordinates directly to police dispatch.
Timeline
2024 served as the base year for the department's crime report comparison.
2025 is the year covered by the reported crime statistics.
2026 is the year of the Clery Act Report release.
Legal Context
These crime statistics are released in compliance with the Clery Act, which requires institutions to maintain transparency regarding safety. This reporting cycle follows a pattern of heightened scrutiny on campus security and residential crime trends across the university system.
Students should secure their doors and avoid posting travel plans online to reduce the risk of becoming a target for theft. Those needing to contact authorities can use the police dispatch line at 304-293-3136 or the emergency number at 304-293-2677.
The takeaway
Securing personal valuables by recording serial numbers can significantly improve the chances of recovering property in the event of a theft. Students are encouraged to maintain vigilance and utilize safety technology to ensure their personal well-being while living on campus.
Further reading
For more information on local safety trends, visit the Property Crime section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Athenaeum.
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