Campus Safety and Security
Keeping our students, staff, faculty and visitors safe is our top priority.
"It's all about community policing - our officers interact with the students and genuinely care about our campus."— Chief Eric Smith, Director of Public Safety
Keeping Campus Safe
We understand that one of the big concerns for incoming students and their parents is campus safety. Our security officers work to provide students, staff, and visitors every possible resource to make the University of Charleston a safe and enjoyable campus.
Officers are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and can be reached by phone, radio, 911 operator and voice pagers. A combination of campus-wide foot and cruiser patrols are routinely conducted, as well as interior foot patrols of all residence halls.
Emergency call boxes are positioned at key locations on campus.
The department is linked by radio to local Metro 911 operators and local police agencies to coordinate the response to fire, EMS or other emergencies.
All residence halls and other high-risk areas are further protected by card access control.
In the event of a serious emergency, the University maintains both an audible and a text-messaging system to quickly notify students and staff.
In addition to routine police and security-related functions, our department provides students, staff, and visitors a variety of other helpful services such as:
- Personal safety escorts
- Campus housing security checks
- Vehicle lockout assistance (signed release required)
- Battery booster jumps (signed release required)
- Room lockout assistance (must contact RA or RD). Security will respond to room lockouts for emergencies only
- Handicapped assistance
- Local travel and campus information
- “Operation ID” with engravers and inventory forms
- Campus parking decals to staff and students
- Lost and found center
- Bank escorts
- Other related services
- R.A.D. Rape Aggression Defense training (for women)
- A.L.I.C.E. Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate training
For additional information about campus safety:
- Call our main office during normal business hours (304) 357-4857
- Call our Duty Carry Cell Phones (304) 859-2755 or (304) 859-2757
- For emergencies dial 911
The Department of Public Safety works very closely with Student Life in addressing all areas of safety related to residential and commuter students. All crimes are investigated and adjudicated quickly, and special effort is made to safeguard each student’s rights, dignity, and confidentiality.
All Student Affairs issues are governed by a comprehensive student handbook made available to each student.
Our department is linked by radio to local Metro 911 operators and local police agencies to coordinate quick and effective responses to fire, EMS and police emergencies. We participate in a mutual-aid agreement with all local law enforcement agencies. Additionally, campus patrol officers are equipped with radio communications linked to the residence hall RAs, RDs, maintenance staff, and other support services on campus.
All residence halls and other high-risk areas are further protected by card access control.
The campus Department of Safety and Security maintains state-of-the-art digital cameras linked to our IT system, and can monitor all exits and entrances to each residence hall. Cameras are also positioned at other high-risk areas throughout the campus, as well as PTZ cameras on the parking lots. The camera system is continually being improved as the campus expands.
In the event of a serious emergency, the university maintains both an audible and a text-messaging system to quickly notify students and staff. Department of Safety & Security staff members have the unique capability of sending out “live” audible messages through loudspeakers across the campus directly from their mobile radio. These announcements allow the officers to provide ongoing and accurate information as situations quickly develop and change.
Students and staff members are strongly encouraged to go online and sign up to participate in the text messaging system.
UC Summary of Crime Statistics
UC Summary of Crime Statistics as Required by Student Right to Know and Campus Safety Act
