Safety Tips in the Office, Classroom or Lab

• Avoid working or studying alone in a building at night. Have a buddy available for emergencies.
• Avoid using stairs in remote sections of a building.
• Keep your purse in a locked cabinet or drawer. Never leave it in, underneath or on top of a desk.
• Keep petty cash and stamps in a locked drawer.
• While in class, the library or the lab, keep personal belongings in view.
• Never prop doors open, especially fire doors, even for a short period of time.
• Do not remove rings to wash hands; they can be forgotten and/or stolen.
• Call University Police if you see a man entering, leaving, or in a women's lavatory. If you are inside, run out screaming. Don't stop to ask questions.
• Report anyone who behaves suspiciously to University Police. Remember his/her appearance and relay it to the dispatcher.
• Advise University Police of any hazards or security problems.
• Use the Penn Transit Service, the Walking Escort Service or walk with a friend at night.

Safety Tips in the Library

• Safety and security in the library is a key concern.
• All library patrons must show a PENNcard or other authorized ID before entering the library.
• Suspicious or threatening behavior should be reported immediately to a library staff member and to University Police.
• Red emergency campus telephones are available in the Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center.
• Wallets and book bags should never be left unattended. If a theft does occur, report it to a staff member immediately and to University Police.
• The libraries are committed to providing equal access to all members of the Penn community. Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center and all the school and departmental libraries are barrier-free.
• NOTE: Special needs can be discussed with the school and departmental librarians or by calling 215-898-7561. Be alert, be aware, and please help us to keep the libraries safe.

Safety Tips on the Street

• Stay in well-lit areas. Walk mid-point between curbs and buildings, away from alleys, entries, and bushes. Stay near people.
• Avoid short-cuts through parks, vacant lots, and other deserted places.
• Carry only necessary credit cards and money. Avoid using outdoor ATMs (automated teller machines). Click here for a listing of indoor ATMs. Obtain a whistle from the Special Services Department of Public Safety and carry it with you at all times.
• Walk with someone whenever possible. Participate in buddy systems.
• Do not stop to give directions or other information to strangers. Never hitchhike. Use the PennBus or Escort Service if you must travel after dark. It's worth the wait.
• If you are followed, be suspicious. Keep looking behind you and you may discourage the follower. If someone is following you on foot, cross the street, change directions, or vary your pace. If someone follows you in a car, turn around and walk in the opposite direction. If that person persists, record the license number and call the police immediately.
• If you must carry a purse or handbag, keep it close to your body. This will minimize the chances of theft. If your purse is snatched, don't fight. Turn it over rather than risk personal injury. Report the incident as soon as possible.

Safety Tips in your Campus Residence, Fraternity or Sorority

• Keep doors locked, even if you are away for only a few minutes. An unlocked door at night, and particularly during the day, can be an invitation to trouble.
• Remember that most losses occur during the day. Residence doors have peepholes that should be used before permitting entry to anyone.
• If the peephole is broken or missing, notify the receptionist and make a request for service.
• Keep an accurate inventory of your possessions.
• If you return to your residence and suspect that it has been entered illegally, do not enter. Call University Police, at 511 or (215) 573-3333. Always keep your keys in your possession. Never place them under mats, over doors, or in any other obvious hiding places.
• If someone you don't know calls for permission to enter your residence, do not permit entry. If someone you don't know tries to enter a building behind you or asks to go past the security checkpoint with you for any reason, respond with an emphatic "NO!". By using good judgment, you can help ensure your own safety and that of others.
• If you observe suspicious behavior in a corridor or lounge, or if someone knocks on your door to solicit, call the reception desk or University Police.
• Never confront or ignore a stranger.
• Most residence elevators, rooftop lounges, and reception desks are equipped with emergency telephones, providing a direct line to University Police when the receiver is removed from the cradle or the button is pressed.
• No dialing is necessary and the dispatcher can pinpoint the location of the call immediately.
• If possible, give a description of your circumstance. In a residence, screaming may sound like horseplay.
• In an emergency, be specific by shouting "Help!" "Police!" or "Fire!" In all activities, use common sense and be conscious of your surroundings.
• Know your neighbors, don't ignore hazardous situations, and don't create them for others.

Have a safety audit of your apartment or house conducted by:
Crime Prevention Officer
18th District (West Philadelphia)
215-686-3180

Other Districts Call the Police Department

• Peepholes are important for your security. Know who is at your door before permitting entry.
• Ask to see the identification of visitors you don't know.
• Keep doors and first floor windows locked at all times.
• Always double check doors and windows before leaving your residence. Make certain they are locked even if you are out for only a few minutes.
• Keep keys in your possession. Don't place them under mats, over doors, in mail slots, or in the other obvious hiding places.
• If you return to your residence and you think it has been entered illegally, do not enter. Call the Philadelphia Police at 911, or University Police, at 511 or 215-573-3333.
• Draw curtains or blinds after dark. Never dress in front of a window; your silhouette may be visible from the street and may alert outsiders of the gender and number of occupants.
• Keep valuables out of sight. Do not place purses, portable radios, stereos, television sets, or other such articles near a window: glass can be smashed and objects stolen.
• Don't advertise. Never leave a note on the door stating you are not at home. Use only your last name and first initial on the door, the mailbox, and in telephone books. Consider excluding your street address from directory listings.
• Be knowledgeable about various types of locks and security devices.
• Ask your landlord to install new locks when you move to a new house or apartment. You don't know who has keys from the previous resident.
• Establish a buddy system with a neighbor. Each should be wary of anything out of the ordinary, in and around the others' premises. Let your neighbor know when you will be arriving home late.Take in each other's mail and newspapers in the event of vacations or absences for more than a day.
• Cooperate with all other tenants in keeping outer doors locked. Don't release door locks unless you are sure of who is requesting entrance.
• Notify the building manager if you leave for an extended vacation.
• Use a timer for lamps or a radio to give your apartment an occupied look or sound.
• Keep a photographic inventory of your possessions. Write the date and place of purchase, cost, serial number and other identifying information on the back of each photo. Use an engraver to inscribe your driver's license number on
• property. Mention what items have security coding when reporting lost or stolen items. NOTE: This will aid in preparing insurance claims and can also facilitate the return of recovered items.
• Keep money, jewels, and valuable collections to a minimum. Use safe deposit boxes.
• Avoid riding in an elevator by yourself with a stranger, especially if you feel uncomfortable for any reason. In a parking garage, you can wait in your car rather than ride with an unknown person.
• Never answer personal questions on the telephone. Never admit that you are alone or that you live alone. If you receive an obscene telephone call, quietly hang up. If anonymous telephone calls are received, notify the Bell of Pennsylvania Annoyance Calls Center, 1-800-662-7152.
• Call the police if a threat is received or obscene calls persist.
• All entrances to your home should be well lit. If you live in an apartment building, make sure all halls are properly illuminated; if they are not, notify the landlord.
• Consider how you, as a tenant, can help make public areas more controlled and secure.
• Develop a building patrol or watch program.
• Report any suspicious sounds, activities, automobiles, or behavior that you see to the police.

Bicycle Registration
You may register your bicycle with the Division of Public Safety to reduce the probability of theft and to increase the chances of recovery in the event that it is lost or stolen. Bicycles may be registered at 4040 Chestnut St., from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. For the most efficient service, call ahead to (215) 898-4485.

Safety Tips on your Bike

• Use reflectors, reflective tape, or similar devices on cycling shoes, fenders, belts, frames, pedals and handlebars.
• Keep to the right. Ride with traffic, not against it. By law, a bicycle is a vehicle and must obey traffic laws.
• Use hand signals to indicate turning or stopping.
• Ride defensively.
• Use bike paths or bike lanes whenever possible.
• Walk your bicycle across busy intersections.
• Never race on public space.
• Avoid riding in bad weather.
• Avoid riding on trolley tracks.
• Perform regular maintenance checks.
• Wear appropriate clothing.
• Park your bike in an open, well-lit, frequently traveled area.
• Secure it properly with recommended chains and locks.
• Use bicycle racks, which are strategically located on campus.
• Report any suspicious behavior you see around the bicycle racks.

University Bicycle Policy
NOTE: On public streets and campus paths, bicycles are vehicles and must comply with traffic laws. Cyclists and pedestrians share common University paths. To prevent injuries, common sense and courtesy are key. Bicycles must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. Pedestrian traffic is especially heavy on Locust Walk. As a result, the University has instituted the following policy: Between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm, Monday - Friday, bike riding is prohibited on the following walkways: Locust Walk, Hamilton Walk and Smith Walk. Bicyclists are required to walk their bicycles over the Locust Walk footbridge.

 View Public Safety's New Share the Road brochure

Safety Tips in your Car

• Exercise caution when entering or leaving your car, especially in parking lots and garages.
• Keep windows up, doors locked, and keep your purse and other valuables in your trunk.
• Intersections and stoplights are common places for would-be attackers. Keep one car length between your auto and the auto in front of you. This gives you an escape route. Keep your car in gear, and if threatened, blow the horn in short repeated blasts and drive away.
• If you have car trouble, raise the hood and remain in the car with doors locked. If strangers stop, ask them to report your predicament to the police, but do not encourage their assistance.
• Never pick up hitchhikers.
• Never leave your auto registration, credit cards, and other important papers in the glove compartment.
• Use the Club or other auto theft prevention tools.
• Do not mark your key chain with your name, address, and license number. Lost keys can lead a thief to your car.
• A reminder: Parking on campus is restricted. Illegally parked cars will be towed. To obtain a Pennsylvania Learner's Permit, Operator's License or the Pennsylvania Drivers' Manual, contact the Licensing Bureau of the Pennsylvania State Police, 1101 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-560-2398.

Fraud and Flim Flams
There are many types of fraudulent acts committed whereby innocent but uninformed individuals are made victims. It is possible, but not probable, that a con artist or swindler may approach you. The section on con artists is written to increase your awareness of these individuals and to help you safeguard against their ploys.

Con Artists

• Con artists are individuals who prey upon a person's natural inclinations to be helpful or to take advantage of a "windfall".
• They are usually talkative and intelligent and tend to blend into the environment in which they operate.
• Don't be fooled into believing that you can judge an individual's honesty or intentions by the way he or she is dressed and never assume that con artists are either always male or always female.
• The variations of con artistry themes are creative and abundant.
• As a rule of thumb, therefore, you should not engage in conversation with strangers.
• Approaches can vary, but more often than not, they will either claim to have discovered a substantial amount of money and to want to share it with you; be a bank examiner (or some similar position) who needs your assistance in apprehending a dishonest employee; or be in a
• predicament requiring use of your bank computer-access card.
• If you are approached, decline discussion and immediately report the incident to University Police or the nearest Philadelphia Police officer.
• "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."

Telephone Harassment

• People who abuse the use of telephones are usually psychologically disturbed individuals who, in most cases, need to keep you on the phone to gain a degree of satisfaction. Here are some suggestions that can help prevent harassing, anonymous, obscene or annoying telephone calls.
• Don't respond or speak.
• Hang up if the caller says nothing, utters an obscenity or fails to clearly identify him or herself.
• Don't slam down the receiver since this lets the caller know (s)he has succeeded in bothering you.
• If the call is received on campus, inform your residential advisor or building administrator.
• The extent and nature of the harassment can be assessed and appropriately handled.
• If you follow these suggestions, chances are you will not need to call the police. You can usually stop an annoying caller by hanging up the instant you recognize the type of call.

Call Trace on Campus

• Call Trace is a standard feature on all student telephone numbers in the University's residential halls and on most business phones.
• Each time Call Trace is activated, there is a usage fee charged to the student responsible for that particular telephone number. For further information, contact the Special Services Department at (215) 898-4481.
• Remember: you control your telephone. Call the police if a threat is received or if obscene calls persist (215-573-3333 or 511 from a campus phone).
• With the cooperation of the Bell of Pennsylvania Annoyance Calls Center, everything possible will be done to help you solve persistent telephone abuse problems.
• In many cases, harassing callers have been prosecuted and convicted.

Verizon Services
For off campus telephones, Verizon Residential Customer Services can provide Call Trace, Call Block, and Return Call services, which can be useful if you are receiving harassing phone calls. For further information, contact the Service Solutio Center, 1-800-870-0000. For information regarding tracing, contact the Bell Annoyance Calls Center at 1-800-662-7152. Complaints regarding solicitation calls, including recorded messages, should be directed to the Business Office at 1-800-640-4155.

E-mail Harassment
New technologies, unfortunately, can spawn new methods of violating personal rights and safety.

Preventing Accidental Injury
Accidents and emergencies can happen to anyone at any time. However, you can reduce the probability of an unfortunate occurrence by being careful and using good judgment and common sense. This will keep life at Penn safer for everyone. The University of Pennsylvania and the Division of Public Safety have taken precautionary measures to safeguard your well-being against crime and other emergencies. In keeping with our credo - Safety, a Shared Responsibility we urge you to read and follow this preventive information.

• Always obey no smoking signs.
• Keep aisles, corridors, fire towers and stairwells clear of debris and other articles.
• Be sensitive to the sounds around you. Never ignore alarms or other similar devices and know the proper procedures in the event that an alarm should sound.
• Be aware of the location of fire exits, towers, etc.
• Pay attention to fire drill procedures and organization.
• Always provide adequate ventilation when using toxic and flammable substances.

Homelessness
From time to time, you may see a homeless person on or near campus. The Division of Public Safety is taking active steps to address homelessness and problems related to homelessness on our campus. Organized efforts are underway to assist homeless persons in connecting to appropriate social, housing, treatment and other support services.

Panhandling
While some homeless persons may turn to panhandling as a means of support, many panhandlers are not homeless and may not be destitute. University Police are committed to eliminating aggressive panhandling from campus. We encourage you to donate your time, energy and money to recognized social support services that assist those who are truly in need and NOT to give handouts to panhandlers. If a panhandler persists, harasses, intimidates or threatens you, contact University Police via a Blue Light Emergency Phone or campus phone.

Fire Drills

• Your operational environment during normal activities and emergencies is your building – please be familiar with it. Know the locations of fire exits and fire towers – they provide you with a safe corridor of escape.
• Keep aisles, corridors, fire towers and stairwells clear of debris and other articles – avoid tripping hazards. Pay attention to fire drill procedures at all times.
• Fire drills should be conducted in a prompt, orderly manner. Be sensitive to the sights and sounds around you.
• Never ignore alarms or other similar devices and know the proper procedures in the event that an alarm should sound. If the building fire alarm sounds leave your building immediately. Do not return until you are instructed to do so.
• Remember, your participation is key to your safety. Safety is a shared responsibility.
• Always act in a responsible manner. Fire drill training is fundamental to your safety.
• Evacuation during fire drills should be conducted in an orderly and prompt manner.
• Training builds your confidence and takes away the fear of the unknown.
• You are the most important part of our safety program.

Bomb Threat Information
Please click on the link to be taken to the Bomb Threats information page and checklist.

Computer Security

• Computer crimes cause significant financial losses. Of equal concern is the computer-related waste and abuse caused unintentionally as a result of not knowing how to safeguard information resources. When you venture out to explore the Internet, keep in mind the following precautions: protect yourself, your data and your equipment!
• Maintain a healthy skepticism about electronic identity. E-mail and newsgroup messages can be easily forged, and you cannot always trust a website's identity. If it is important that you know with whom you are dealing, verify their identity independently.
• Be careful what you say in e-mail. Don't discuss confidential matters. Think of e-mail as a postcard that anyone can read. For information about technical solutions to the problems of e-mail security, contact the University Information Security Officer.
• Limit the amount of personal information you share. There could be hundreds of thousands of people reading your postings to e-mail lists and newsgroups site. Some services archive newsgroup messages indefinitely, providing key-word search capabilities to find anything that anyone ever posted on a public news group site.
• Also consider how much personal information you include in your e-mail signature file. Is your home phone number or address really necessary?
• Be careful with commercial transactions over the Web. If you are buying goods or services, use common sense. Make sure you know with whom you are dealing. Verify their identity independently (e.g., check directory assistance to see if a business/individual exists).
• Consider transacting business by phone, mail or in person if it's just as easy. Be careful of paying for something sight unseen, and be careful about sending your credit card information over the Net. Never go to look at merchandise in a private location alone; rather, take a friend, or better yet, arrange with the seller to meet in a public place.
• Be alert for scams that can jeopardize the security of your system or the network. Never give out confidential information in response to e-mail or a phone call (e.g., someone purporting to be your system administrator asks you for your password, or gives you a new value to change it to). Be wary of unsolicited technical advice - never follow a stranger's instructions to type something into your computer unless you understand the impact of what you are typing.
• Avoid pyramid schemes. A pyramid scheme is a chain letter in which recipients are asked to send cash or something of value through the mail to early senders of the letter. Pyramid schemes are illegal even if the solicitation is sent via e-mail or posted to a newsgroup.
• Use good judgment. Do not expose yourself to legal liability by defaming a person or organization with false and damaging information. Be careful about disclosing information that might violate someone's right to privacy.
• Guard your password. Don't share it with anyone. Once you have shared it, you no longer have any control over how your account is used. Don't write your password down or include it in a logon script.
• Protect your networked computer. Make sure you understand your computer's security mechanisms so you don't leave it and your data unprotected. Macintosh and Windows users should be sure they understand file-sharing options so they don't mistakenly share private information with everyone on the Net.
• Back up your data. Make regular backups and store backup media in a separate location. If you need any help related to information security, e-mail the University Information Security Office at security@isc.upenn.edu. Contact University Police at (215) 898-7297 to file a criminal report of e-mail harassment, scams or forgery of your name over the Internet. For more information about information security, check Penn's Information Security and Privacy homepage at www.upenn.edu/computing/security-privacy.

Use common sense. Try not to walk alone or appear distracted by wearing headphones or talking on your cell phone.

Trust your instincts. If something makes you uncomfortable or if you see a person displaying suspicious behavior, you can contact the Division of Public Safety from one of more than 200 blue light emergency phones on campus and in the surrounding community by picking up the receiver or pressing the button.

Remember these emergency numbers:

• 511 (on campus)
• 215-573-3333 (off-campus)

Be aware of your surroundings and proactively contact the Division of Public Safety if you notice a safety hazard. You can call our non-emergency line at 215-898-9441 or fill out the customer feedback form. Reduce the opportunity for crime to occur by using the Riding Escort Service (898-RIDE) and Walking Escort Service (898-WALK).

Try the new Transit Campus Loop running from 7:00 PM- 3:00 AM, seven days-a-week, from 34th to 43rd streets on Walnut and Spruce streets. You must show your Penn ID to ride it.

Allied security officers are assigned to patrol past places where students congregate like libraries, student centers and sorority and fraternity houses to proactively ask students if they’d like an escort home. UCWalkPLUS: If you are planning an event, party or meeting, you can email the Division of Public Safety 24 hours in advance to schedule a walking escort to walk people home at the end of your event. Send your name, phone number, event locations and the time your event will to UCWALK@publicsafety.upenn.edu.

Register your residence for the Division of Public Safety’s Special Security Checks program if you plan to leave town for the holidays.