Photo taken on July 25, 2017, shows a blue light emergency phone column installed outside the south entrance of UC Berkeley in Berkeley, California, the United States.(Xinhua/Ma Dan)

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- As American universities will start the new school year in weeks, concerns are raising over safety of international students who will face a new American setting filled with unfamiliar risks and even threats.

From his understanding, officer Wade MacAdam, who works with UC Berkeley Police Department's Safety Programs, expected international students to be more alert, not only on surroundings but on personal property as well, as they are more likely to be "easy target."

He said in a recent interview with Xinhua that safety has always been a real issue for international students to take into consideration seriously, especially for those from China, following the kidnapping of Zhang Yingying, a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in June and her whereabouts still remains a mystery.

"UC Berkely is in the downtown area, so we are not secluded. We don't have any walls, we are an open environment," said MacAdam, implying that security risks outside campus post a challenge.

"International students need to have street smart and be aware of their surroundings," he said, adding that their parents also need to remember that students are not in a secluded protected area.

Information released by the campus police shows that robbery, theft and assault are among the most common crimes that happen on and around Berkeley campus.

Photo taken on July 25, 2017, shows the police car of UC Berkeley Police Department on the campus in Berkeley, California, the United States. (Xinhua/Ma Dan)

MacAdam said that they find students from China are very affectionate and warm to people around them, which might make them vulnerable when it comes to safety.

"We just want to remind them that some people might want to trick them, or to prey on them," he explained.

"They might talk to them on the sidewalk, and ask them some questions, or try to convince them to give them money, or talk to them as a distraction while their friends might come out of the bushes and take their property."

According to his advise, Chinese students need to be mindful of surroundings and on the guard as they interact with people, even if they want to be friendly and enjoy their visit here, with the awareness that some people might want to take advantage of them and look at them as an easy target.

In the case of Zhang Yingying, it's known that the 26-year-old female got a ride in a car driven by someone strange to her on the campus while running on her way to sign a new apartment lease.

The man driving the car was arrested later and accused of kidnapping Zhang. The young scholar is now presumed dead unfortunately.

Keeping vigilant against theft is another piece of security tip offered by MacAdam to international students, who he finds have a lot valuables, such as expensive cameras, laptops, and mobile devices, and often leave them in plain sight.

Photo taken on July 25, 2017, shows the buttons and direction on a blue light emergency phone column installed outside the south entrance of UC Berkeley in Berkeley, California, the United States. (Xinhua/Ma Dan)

In stead of advertising their electronic devices to be stolen, he said they need to hide them, keeping them in their backpack, for instance.

It's also important for them to make some changes on lifestyle in order to prevent theft. They need to avoid using their cell phones, texting or wearing headphones while walking if they don't want to be target of theft, the officer said.

So far, many American universities are committed to campus security. Here in the University of California, Berkeley, which has one of the highest campus crime rates in the state of California, campus police has installed various security measures to help students stay safe.

Once in emergency, international students are encouraged to call police with no hesitation.

"We are accessible and approachable, please don't be afraid of us. We are your friend. Call us if there's anything you need," said MacAdam.