Community Safety Advisory

Published Last Updated

USC Department of Public Safety Summer Safety Tips

Residential Burglary Prevention – Whether you are a leaving for the summer or just for the day, here are tips to reduce your chances of being burglarized:
• Lock your doors and windows before leaving home.
• Give the illusion that you are at home by keeping a light, television or music on while you are away.
• Do not let anyone into your building you do not know.
• Avoid propping doors open. Even if you are leaving for a moment, it only takes seconds for a thief to go in and steal something.
• When possible, keep your bicycle indoors or use a high-quality lock to secure your bike to a bike rack or other stationary object.

Protecting Your Property:
• Keep your backpacks and electronic devices with you. Do not leave them unattended in your car, a library, dining hall or any other public place.
• Remember: “Lock it, hide it, and keep it!”

Protecting Your Vehicle:
• Lock your car doors.
• When parking on the street, in a parking lot or parking structure, do not leave any valuable items visible in your car.
• At night, park in well-lit areas.
• Have your car keys in hand when approaching your vehicle.
• Equip your car with a steering wheel lock.

Overnight University Park Campus and USC Village Access – To help keep our community safe, access overnight is restricted to students, faculty, staff and registered guests. For the the University Park Campus, the hours are from 9 p.m. until 6 a.m., and for USC Village, the hours are from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. For more information, visit http://visitor.usc.edu.

Traveling within the USC Community:
• Always pay attention to your surroundings.
• Avoid walking alone, especially at night.
• Take free Lyft rides in the campus community from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. For more information about the USC Lyft Rides Program, visit https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/how-to-use-lyft/.

Campus Emergency “Blue Light” Phones:
• Emergency phones are located throughout University Park, USC Village, and Health Sciences campuses and inside building elevators.
• Blue light phones provide a direct connection to Department of Public Safety (DPS) dispatchers.
• Blue light phones should be used for urgent matters only.
• Familiarize yourself with the campus emergency phone locations. To view all blue light phone locations, visit https://dps.usc.edu/services/blue-light-phones/.
• For faster service, program DPS phone numbers into your cell phone. For emergencies, call (213) 740-4321, and for regular business, call (213) 740-6000.

USC Mobile Safety App – LiveSafe, a mobile app managed by DPS, is a free downloadable app that makes it easy to initiate contact with emergency responders around the University Park, USC Village, and Health Sciences campuses. You can install the app on your phone using the following steps:
• Download the “LiveSafe” app on your mobile phone from the Google Play Store or Apple iTunes Store.
• Create a user profile to log in.
• Select “University of Southern California” from the drop-down menu.

TrojansAlert is a notification system that allows university officials to contact you during an emergency by sending messages via text and email. Students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled. To learn more, go to https://trojansalert.usc.edu/.

For Emergencies:
• If you are outside the USC area, dial 9-1-1 for emergencies.
• Report crimes in progress and/or suspicious activity to DPS at (213) 740-4321.
• If you see something, say something.

For more information, please email the DPS Community Relations Office at CRO@dps.usc.edu.

If you are in immediate DANGER, call the Los Angeles Police Department at 911 or the USC Department of Public Safety at (213) 740-4321.

Please note that race, ethnicity, gender and/or religious affiliation are NOT considered the basis for suspicion; only behaviors are considered suspicious.

If you have information relevant to the crime(s) reflected in this alert, immediately call DPS at (213) 740-6000 for the University Park Campus (UPC), (323) 442-1000 for the Health Sciences Campus (HSC) or (213) 485-6571 for the LAPD Southwest Division.

The purpose of this warning is to aid in the prevention of similar crimes by alerting the community about the incident and to provide information which allows individuals to make informed decisions about their personal safety.

USC Department of Public Safety Recommendations

  • If you feel you may be in danger, immediately go to a safe location and report the crime to law enforcement. Call DPS emergency for UPC at (213) 740-4321, for HSC call (323) 442-1000, or call 911 for LAPD.
  • If you observe a crime in progress, STAY CALM AND CALL DPS emergency for UPC at (213) 740-4321, for HSC call (323) 442-1000, or call 911 for LAPD. Do not attempt to apprehend any suspects or perpetrators of crime. Your personal safety and the safety of others around you should be your primary concern. 
  • Not every person you meet has good intentions. Be cautious of strangers and keep a safe distance. There is safety in numbers, so travel with friends.
  • Avoid using cell phones or other technology while walking as criminals target distracted, inattentive individuals using them.
  • Be a good witness : It is important to recall what you observed and provide as many details as possible to law enforcement such as: the sex, race, age, height, hair color, clothing, tattoos, scars of any suspects and a description of the make and model of any vehicle used in the crime and its license plate if possible.
  • Do not attempt to apprehend any suspects or perpetrators of crime. 

Other options to contact DPS, to report crime, ask for help and to receive information:

  • Blue light emergency phones are located throughout UPC and HSC. The phones are connected to the USC DPS’ 24-hour communications center and identify the phone location if the caller is unable to speak. The phones can be used to request help, an escort, report suspicious activity and to report crimes. For more information visit: Emergency Blue Light Phones | Department of Public Safety | USC.
  • Security Ambassadors : In addition to DPS officers who patrol a 2.5 mile radius around USC’s campuses, USC contracts with “Security Ambassadors” to patrol street corners in nearby neighborhoods and to observe and report crime and suspicious activity. This security force wears bright yellow jackets so you can easily spot them. If you need assistance, look for a Security Ambassador.
  • Get a Ride: Lyft is now available at HSC and UPC to cover shared rides. Lyft at UPC is open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. Lyft at HSC is open from 5 p.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday only. Please visit the USC Lyft page for more information: https://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/campus-cruiser-program/how-to-use-lyft/
  • Verify your driver and car: Once you have requested a Lyft ride, you can view the driver’s rating. When your ride arrives, make sure the driver’s photo, license plate number and vehicle description match. Never take a ride you did not request or get into a car that doesn’t match the details provided by the Lyft app.
  • Go the extra mile: The Lyft app’s “share your ETA” function allows you to invite friends to see your trip in real-time. The app will draft a text message you can share with friends that includes your ETA and a link to a live map that allows them to track your trip. Too much effort? Call a friend and stay on the line while you’re in the car instead.
  • LiveSafe APP: To quickly make emergency push button calls to DPS or 911 on your mobile phone, download the Trojan Mobile Safety APP “LIVESAFE” from Google Play or the Apple iTunes Store. For more information regarding LIVESAFE visit https://dps.usc.edu/services/safety-app/.
  • TrojansAlert: Register for USC’s emergency notification system TrojansAlert t o allow university officials to contact you during an emergency by sending messages via text message and email. For more information visit: http://dps.usc.edu/services/trojans-alerts/. (Please note that students, staff and faculty automatically are signed up for TrojansAlerts.)