Campus Safety
Your Safety Is Our Priority
USC includes more than 60,000 people living in community, with students, faculty and staff living and working side by side. We are also embedded within a major metropolitan area of more than 12 million residents. This creates a dynamic environment within the university and with our surrounding neighborhoods. USC is committed to creating a safe, inclusive environment that helps all Trojans feel secure.
Safety Resources Around Campus
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Although Los Angeles indexes above the average in The Economist’s Safe Cities Index, navigating any city calls for specific safety precautions along with practicing common sense. These safety tips provide that guidance, which starts with, “Stay aware of your surroundings.”
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As part of our effort to make USC housing safer for our students, we have 24/7 security in every on-campus housing facility, as well as biometric verification stations and security surveillance cameras. Residents are required to use their USC ID cards to enter the facility and complete a biometric scan to verify that they live there.
Prior to picking up their keys, all incoming freshmen need to have their picture taken and their biometrics registered at their Customer Service Center. All resident information is stored locally and is not accessible to the public or via the internet.
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USC Lyft Rides offers students free rides within established campus borders from 6:00 p.m-2:00 a.m., seven days a week. During campus events, home football games, or special periods such as finals week, the program hours may vary. Invitations to join the program are sent the week before each semester starts.
Find more information about USC Lyft Rides
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LiveSafe is a free downloadable app to contact emergency responders on and around the campuses. It provides immediate access to DPS and includes a “Safewalk” feature for any time you may have to walk alone.
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Nearly 300 emergency telephones, identified by a blue light on top of the booth, are strategically located around campus, in many buildings and on each level of every parking structure. These phones provide a direct line to the DPS office and should be used only in emergencies.
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The Department of Public Safety office deploys security personnel on and around campus. DPS Officers patrol on and off campus in cars, on bicycles and on foot; conduct preliminary investigations of reported crimes; and file Los Angeles Police Department crime reports. Community Service Officers patrol all university-owned residential facilities and monitor the Access Network 24 hours a day.
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In addition to public safety officers and community service officers who are members of the Department of Public Safety, USC has deployed security ambassadors throughout the neighborhood. These highly visible team members serve as the eyes and ears of DPS, able to report suspicious activity for officers to follow up on. They wear brightly colored red and yellow shirts and jackets, so they’re easily identifiable, and provide a constant security presence in the area immediately surrounding the university.
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The Community Advisory Board (CAB) was formed by President Folt to be an action-oriented board committed to an inclusive process that strengthens the trust between the university, DPS, and the broader community, and creates an environment where everyone feels safe and respected.
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The USC Report & Response website is an easy-to-use portal where USC community members (students, faculty, staff, patients and visitors) can make a report – anonymously if preferred – of an incident they have witnessed or experienced that violates university policies or goes against our Unifying Values.
ONE USC Safety Vision
The ONE USC Safety Vision imagines a USC where everyone feels safe, respected and protected from crime, while recognizing that this can be achieved only by addressing the diverse experiences and needs of all USC students, faculty, staff and neighbors.
The ONE USC Safety Vision exceeds the basics of feeling safe from crime. It expresses a holistic view of safety by aspiring to understand how we feel when we truly feel “safe.” The institution — and all of the members of the Trojan community — can help foster this holistic sense of “safety” by upholding the values of trust, inclusion, respect and belonging.
This is how we build community and live the ONE USC Safety Vision.
Trust
Our voices and opinions matter, and we feel comfortable sharing them. Our diverse views on safety are considered and taken seriously.
No matter who we are or what group we represent, we always have a seat at the table.
Respect
Beyond being included, we are valued and embraced for who we are and what we can and will contribute to the community.
Belonging
Our diverse experiences and backgrounds have worth and it takes each of us and all of us to create ONE USC.
ONE USC Safety Vision partners
When we work together, we can achieve more. Students can protect themselves by following common sense Safety Tips.