MTSU students and local residents can protect themselves from identity theft by participating in a community shredding event from 2 to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, at the Rutherford Boulevard parking lot at Middle Tennessee State University.

The free event allows students and other residents to safely destroy records that have personally identifiable information on them. The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security is sponsoring the event in coordination with the MTSU Office of Public Safety.

A shredding truck will be parked on the lot for anyone to bring paper items that they would like to be shredded, said Barry Crotzer, regional advisor for the Identity Crimes Unit of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

“Our main audience will be the students on campus, but we will welcome all those in the community who may need the service,” Crotzer said.

Citizens can bring a maximum of two boxes or trash bags of personal or private documents to shred. No cardboard or non-paper items will be accepted.

All vehicles must be in line by 6 p.m. in order to discard their items. For directions to the Rutherford lot, a printable campus map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap.

For more information on the state Identity Crimes Unit’s community shredding event, please call 931-215-8449 or 615-289-6463.

— Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)