The Pullman Police Department (PPD) responded to less criminal activity over Washington State University’s Thanksgiving break than what often occurs over a typical weekend in Pullman.

PPD personnel responded to more than 100 calls between Friday, Nov. 20, and Saturday, Nov. 28.

While a small number of incidents were brought to the attention of the police department, Cmdr. Chris Tennant noted that it is important to understand students are not the only ones who vacate Pullman over breaks. The increase in residents leaving town means fewer incidents of crime.

“What I noticed when I looked at the log was a lack of burglaries,” Tennant said.

If possible, Tennant said the easiest way to prevent theft or burglary is to take valuables when leaving town during a break.

However, out of the incidents reported, Tennant conceded that for students and the community, the holiday break was a safe one and no major concerns were brought to the department.

Director of Residence Life Edwin Hamada noted several major improvements in safety measures have been made over the past several years, the biggest of which is simple: locking residence hall rooms.

Unlike a regular house key, the keys used by residence life are constructed with a variety of different grooves and cut with different angles and slants. The construction makes them less likely to be hijacked by intruders, which makes for a more secure system.

There is only one key shop in the area that has access to these types of keys, Hamada said. Because of this, they are not easily replicated.

Key card systems, which are installed in the newer residence halls on campus, require students to swipe their student identification cards to enter buildings and different floors before reaching their room.

More prevalent than break-ins are mere maintenance mishaps that can easily be prevented. Leaving liquid out or failing to unplug appliances, for example, are far more likely to present a problem than a burglary in a student’s room.

Assistant WSU Police Chief Steve Hansen and other individuals in the department play vital roles throughout the year working to serve WSU students. The campus police meet with residence life staff monthly and each dorm is assigned its own officer.

Over breaks, the WSU Police Department increases its patrols. They also have jurisdiction to monitor some of the apartment complexes, including Chinook, Chief Joseph and Columbia, among others.

Securing living spaces and stowing away valuables are two important steps to take before leaving at any time. For those who want friends to check on their apartments during breaks, it is important to inform apartment coordinators of anyone who will be entering that space.

Regarding Thanksgiving break specifically, Hansen said it is very low-key. While Thanksgiving break did not present any problems, Hansen encouraged students to continue taking precautionary measures, especially over the longer winter break.