Ram's Eye View

West Chester University

West Chester University
West Chester, PA 19383
610-436-1000



Public Safety

Location: Peoples Building (University Avenue and Church Street)
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Phone: 610-436-3311

The Public Safety Department offers a number of services and programs for the University community.

Crime Prevention:

The following outlines some precautionary measures recommended by the Campus Police to prevent crime. This information is valuable whether you live on campus or off campus:

  1. Lock your door(s) at all times, even if you're only going down the hall or across the street. Get into the habit of locking the door(s) and if applicable, all windows, every time you leave your room or apartment.
  2. Participate in Operation I.D. If you live on campus, electric engravers to mark your valuables are available at Public Safety. If you live off campus, contact the campus police; you may sign out an engraver (with your University I.D.) for as long as five days. If you live in the Borough of West Chester, contact the crime prevention officer at the borough police (610-696-2700) to register your valuables.
  3. Report anything suspicious to campus police as soon as possible. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact the Crime Tip Line at 610-436-3100, or go online to the Public Safety Criminal Activity Report.
  4. Report all crimes, no matter how small, to the police immediately.
  5. Consider your daily routine, especially at night. Be sure to travel in well-lit areas and preferably with a friend or two. Know which places in the area you can go for safety and mentally map out routes you can take to get there. Become familiar with the location of the emergency phones located on campus.
  6. Campus crime prevention information and programs are available by contacting the Public Safety Department. Help us to help you from becoming a crime victim.

When a crime does occur on campus, the campus police are there to investigate the incident and assist the victim(s). Special assistance is designed for victims of rape or sexual assault (please see "Sexual Assault" information contained in the General University Policies section).

Operation Safe Walk:

Public Safety provides a "Safe Walk" program, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This service is provided to students, faculty, and staff from one on-campus location to another. This service does not provide transportation off campus. Contact Public Safety to arrange a safe walk.

Emergencies:

In case of a campus emergency, contact the Public Safety Department directly at 610-436-3311 or use any one of the 65 emergency phones located throughout the campus. These phones will connect you directly with the Public Safety dispatcher. A police officer will be dispatched to your location upon picking up the telephone handset. In the case of an off-campus emergency, please dial 911.

Lost and Found:

For items lost in University buildings, visit the building administrator to check for those items. If you have no luck, or have lost something outside, contact Public Safety; someone may have turned in the lost item.

Parking Enforcement:

The Public Safety Department is charged with the enforcement of all parking regulations and the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code. For a complete overview of all parking regulations, violations, and appeal procedures, please see Section III.