Last Friday, July 25, one of our FM Employees was the victim of an attempted robbery outside of the entrance of Wilson Library on the West Bank of the Twin Cities Campus. Our sympathies go out to the employee and we are doing everything we can to help them cope with the situation.

This incident is a strong reminder that we all need to be cautious when leaving and re-entering secure areas of campus after business hours (9 am - 5 pm). The University Police Department has released the following list of precautions that we should all follow:

• When threatened with a weapon, it's best not to resist. Your personal safety is more important than a lost wallet or cell phone.
• Always be aware of your surroundings
• Walk in well lit areas and don't walk alone. If you can't find someone to walk with, call the Campus Escort service at 612-624-WALK for a free security escort.
• Carry minimal amounts of valuables
• Keep written records of valuables, including model and serial numbers, in a safe place
• Call 911 immediately if you are the victim or witness to a crime
• Document information about the suspect for police (i.e. clothing descriptions, facial features, piercings or tattoos, speech, etc.)

In addition, we realize that some FM employees are responsible for multiple buildings. Always keep safety as your first priority and use building connections whenever possible. We want our employees to feel safe about working at the university, so please express any concerns over safety to your supervisor so that we can help avoid these types of situations in the future.

Stay safe.

Mike