Safety Tips

Our 24/7 emergency phone number is 401-454-6666. You can call us from anywhere; if you are within our jurisdiction and if we determine that the situation warrants an immediate response, we will dispatch an officer to your location. If you are far from campus outside of College Hill or Downtown Providence, we will contact area law enforcement to provide assistance.

Once you activate a Code Blue phone, we immediately send an officer to your location, even if you do not speak into the phone. Upon arrival, our officer will search the area.

Avoid walking alone after dark, and walk with friends/coworkers whenever possible. If you must travel alone, make sure your cell phone is on and that you can reach it easily. Travel in familiar, well-lit, high-traffic areas.

While traveling around campus, avoid letting your phone, headphones, or other devices distract you from what’s around you. We advise that you store your electronic devices out of view when traveling after dark.

If you are being followed, harassed, or are otherwise concerned for your immediate safety, call for help and enter a safe building as soon as possible. Taking refuge in a place where others are present is more likely to deter someone from committing a criminal act.

To help protect you in emergency situations, come to our South Hall office (30 Waterman Street) to pick up a personal alarm keychain. When you activate it, the alarm emits a highly audible sound to attract the attention of people who can come to your aid, and possibly scare away potential threats.

Please note that the personal alarm is not a substitute for contacting Public Safety. If you feel unsafe and/or need to report an incident, call our 24/7 emergency line (401-454-6666) or dial 911 for police/fire/emergency medical services.

Make sure your phone is charged and in reach at all times. If you live off campus and are in immediate danger, call 911 and then contact us as soon as possible to let us know your situation.

If you’re interested in a security inspection of your residence—on or off campus—call us on our Mon–Fri office line (401-454-6376).

Propping open doors to campus buildings creates a serious security vulnerability. If you notice that a building door has been propped open, securely close the door and then contact us. We will send officers to ensure that no unauthorized individuals have gained access to the building.

Especially before you leave your home, make sure all windows and doors are securely closed and locked. For on-campus residents, if a door or window in your dorm does not secure properly, please submit a work order so the issue can be resolved.

You should not leave valuable items unsecured or in plain sight. When you are not home, store laptops and other electronic devices in a cabinet or drawer, preferably one that you can lock.

Any door to your apartment that opens into a common area of the building, such a stairwell, should be lockable. If your apartment doors do not have working locks, contact your landlord to address the problem by repairing the lock or installing a new one.

Make sure that all windows are in good condition and function properly. If you live off campus and have any concerns about your windows, speak with your landlord. If you live on campus, submit a work order for Facilities to address the problem.

Propping open doors to campus buildings creates a serious security vulnerability. If you notice that a building door has been propped open, securely close the door and then contact us. We will send officers to ensure that no unauthorized individuals have gained access to the building.

If you encounter someone who you don’t believe has business in a campus building, contact us as soon as possible, and provide us with a location and description of the person(s) involved. We will send DPS personnel to investigate.