Safety on Campus
Columbia University is committed to making your campus and surrounding environments as safe and secure as they can possibly be. Our Department of Public Safety believes that building relationships and a service-oriented approach are fundamental to keeping our community safe.
Public Safety takes pride in its demographic diversity and strong focus on promoting an equitable and inclusive campus culture. The Department of Public Safety publishes an annual report that includes crime definitions and statistics, information on campus safety policies and descriptions of safety resources. Visit the Public Safety website to learn about all of the services the department provides. We’ve highlighted a few of these for you below.
On-Demand Evening Shuttle
We provide an On-Demand Evening Shuttle as a free and safe alternative to walking alone at night. This ride-share service can take you anywhere within the coverage area, seven nights a week until 3 am.
Emergency Notifications
Make sure you are registered for the University's emergency text messages by logging into Vergil. As a default provision, students are auto-enrolled into the system using the number they used to set up their profile, and you may add up to three numbers so family members can stay informed.
Text message alerts will only be used in rare cases where ongoing events pose an immediate threat or have a significant impact. Possible scenarios include severe weather conditions, campus closures, or crimes in progress that may endanger the community.
Visit the Preparedness website for further instructions and additional details on just-in-case emergency preparedness.
Lion Safe App
All the resources of Columbia University Public Safety are available at your fingertips through Lion Safe, an app that allows you to easily contact Public Safety along with other useful quick links including maps, shuttle schedules, crime alerts, and emergency protocols.
Blue Light Emergency Call Boxes
Columbia University Public Safety maintains several emergency call boxes with blue lights throughout the greater Columbia University campus area that provide an immediate response to you if you need help or if you feel threatened in any way.
Walking Safety Escort Program
Public Safety staff members are available seven days a week to walk affiliates to their doors at night through the walking safety escort program. Every campus has specific service areas and hours of operation.
Safe Havens
Occasionally, Columbia students, faculty or staff may feel uneasy about walking home, waiting for a bus or walking to a car. If that ever happens to you, just look for the Red Lion at participating neighborhood merchants that are part of the Safe Haven program. At businesses featuring the Red Lion in their windows, you can ask the merchant to phone Columbia University Public Safety or the police and wait for security personnel to respond. Plus, some Safe Havens offer discounts to CUID holders and/or accept Flex Dollars!
Lost and Found
The Department of Public Safety maintains a Lost and Found desk at the Morningside, Manhattanville and Medical Center campuses and also a lost item database. If you find property, please turn it in to any Public Safety officer or to your nearest Public Safety Operations desk. If you have lost something, you may inquire about it via this form or in person.
Device Engraving
Public Safety can engrave your laptop, mobile devices or other property with a unique code to make it easy to identify your property if it is stolen. To schedule an appointment to have your device(s) engraved, please contact [email protected].
Safety Trainings
Public Safety hosts several safety events throughout the year including personal safety and self-defense trainings. Review Public Safety’s event calendar to register for these valuable sessions.