Student houses are a popular target for the opportunistic thief, especially now that many windows are open with the nice weather. And even if you do have everything shut, burglars try their chances. ‘If you desperately need money for drugs, a closed door won't stop you.’

‘I was woken up by a light in the hallway. I was half asleep and didn’t really understand what was going on until I saw a person standing in my room. Only when I couldn’t find my wallet in the morning and saw that 170 euros were withdrawn from my bank account, I realised a burglar had been in my room.’

The incident took place in 2021, in the SSH& complex Doddendaal in the city centre. Because she was not fully aware of the event, resident Britt Robben says she has no strong memories of it. She is, however, more skittish at times when confronted with unexpected noises, and since then she has systematically checked whether all doors are closed properly.

Not an incident

Unfortunately, the break-in at Robben’s home cannot be called an incident. ‘There was also a time when someone stole my laptop from my bed while I was sleeping,’ says a housemate of Robben, whose name is known to the editors. ‘I think that was the same night that everything was stolen from another housemate.’

A third resident of the same complex saw how an upstairs neighbour was fighting with a burglar on his balcony at night. The resident had heard the burglar and had gone outside. After some blows, the thief fell off the balcony. ‘It woke me up,’ says the housemate. ‘It was crazy. He was standing there in his pants fighting with that guy.’

The SSH& also knows that student houses are popular among burglars. Following three burglaries in early March, the student housing corporation warned its residents with a message on its website and mobile app to be ‘alert of suspicious persons and activities in and around the complex’.

‘There are often parties where you can blend in. The students are all drunk by then anyway’

Housing Manager Moniek Bens cannot say exactly how often SSH& properties are broken into. ‘We do see that student rooms are an easy prey, especially in a larger complex. A laptop is easily grabbed.

Former burglar Danny*, whom Vox spoke to, confirms that story. ‘Once you’re inside a student house, you can choose your rooms. There are also often parties where you can blend in. The students are all drunk by then anyway. They really don’t know whether you belong or not.’

Student behaviour

According to Bens, the residents themselves play an important role in burglaries. ‘Unfortunately it is often about the behaviour of the affected students. They leave a window or door open, or let strangers just walk in. The only thing we can really do is keep informing and hope that students become aware of their own behaviour.’

A spokesperson for the police also says that it is the responsibility of the residents to prevent burglaries as much as possible. ‘If you are careless in leaving a window open, it is not just an extra task for the police to provide security. We work together to prevent and solve crimes.

‘As soon as a burglar sees the flickering light, he’ll think twice about trying anything’

The advice of the SSH& and the police to keep doors and windows closed encourages ex-burglar Danny but is not the solution according to him. ‘If you – as I did – desperately need money for drugs, a closed door won’t stop you.’ Precautions, such as security around the premises, are much more effective, he says.

Danny also points out the students’ own behaviour. But according to him it is a small effort to make it a lot harder for burglars. ‘You can climb up a sturdy drainpipe in no time. The only thing you have to do to prevent that is to place a few spikes at the top. It costs almost nothing.’

Cameras

A camera can also be a good solution, provided it is well positioned. It is not even necessary to actually film, he explains. ‘As soon as a burglar sees the flickering light, he’ll think twice about trying anything.’

However, SSH& is not a great advocate of installing cameras, as one of the victims of the burglary suggested. Bens: ‘Sometimes it can help in cases of vandalism, theft, nuisance, or burglary. But we are reluctant to do this because of the costs and privacy. We mainly want to create awareness to influence student behaviour.’

Awareness-raising or extra security, Robben hopes that in any case something can be done. ‘As long as everyone feels safe and thinks ‘burglaries won’t happen to us’, nothing will change.’

* Danny has been out of the criminal circuit for two and a half years now and now devotes himself on a voluntary basis to keeping others from breaking in. He is also an active member of Stadswandeling Vagebond, a foundation that gives tours using the perspective of (ex-)homeless people. Because of privacy considerations and shame for his actions, Danny does not want to be mentioned by his full name.