Reporting Crimes
Prospective students, employees, and visitors to the University should know that, as with any campus, there is crime both on and off campus, and it is important to take reasonable precautions at all times. Students, staff, and faculty are strongly encouraged to promptly report all public safety related incidents to the Office of Safety and Security(OSS).
Many SPU graduate and professional students, and a number of undergraduate students, live off campus. OSS handles investigations of crimes at all University-owned or University-operated facilities located within a reasonable distance from the main campus in conjunction with the Seattle Police Department. Matters occurring at properties that are more distant from the main campus may be handled entirely by the local law enforcement agency with jurisdiction.
How to Report a Crime
To report a police, fire, or medical emergency, call OSS by dialing x2911 from a campus phone, or 206-281-2911 from a cell or an off-campus phone. For non-emergency business calls, dial x2922 from a campus phone or 206-281-2922 from a cell or an off-campus phone. Campus community members are encouraged to program the OSS information and emergency lines into cell phones to reduce emergency response time. Crimes that occur off campus should be reported to your local law enforcement agency. OSS will assist you in making a report to a local law enforcement agency if you wish.
University Response to Crime Reports
An OSS dispatcher is on duty at all times to provide assistance when a report of a crime has occurred. In response to a call, security officers may dispatch an officer to the caller’s location or ask the caller to file an incident report. Security officers will conduct a thorough investigation of all incidents and offenses. The identity of complainant(s), victim(s), and witness(es) will be kept confidential to the extent possible. Arrests, in coordination with local law enforcement agencies, will be made, if warranted. All OSS incident reports are forwarded to the assistant vice president for risk management as well as the director of Residence Life for review.
Crime Statistics
College and university campus crime statistics are an important resource.
In accordance with the Campus Security Act, the University provides crime statistics to prospective students, matriculated students, and employees. Crime statistics are available for reported crimes that occur on campus or at certain off-campus and public property locations and are published on the OSS website. The statistics represent alleged criminal offenses reported to campus security authorities and/or local police agencies. Therefore, the data collected do not necessarily reflect prosecutions or convictions for crime. Because some statistics are provided by non-police authorities, the data are not directly comparable to data from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting System, which collects statistics only from police authorities.
Last published on 8/26/2016