Campus Security Measures

The University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) automatically implements response protocols based upon the current threat level at the national and local level to mitigate risk at this institution. These response protocols activate different levels of operational activities undertaken by UCSC to provide enhanced services to the community and to engage the community in a collaborative state of vigilance against threatening activities. Some of these measures will be obvious to the campus community. Other measures represent internal steps taken by UCSC to increase security preparedness, and, while these measures may not be as obvious to the community, they are nonetheless essential in assuring overall safety for our campus citizens.

The safety and security of every member of our campus community is critically important to us. As part of this effort we want to make you aware of the impact of this state of alert to the campus community by providing general information about the institutional response the campus can expect and what is expected of community members during these uncertain times.

UCSC Procedures

Please review the UCSC Threat Levels (click on the colored boxes below) to familiarize yourself with UCSC's suggested preparedness procedures. Pay particular attention to the color/warning level currently in effect, as determined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

(Click on the colored boxes above)

Be proactive and report any suspicious activity on campus to the University Police at 831-459-2231

We are calling upon you as a member of the community to be vigilant in immediately reporting suspicious activity that you observe on campus. Your intimate knowledge of personal space and the areas you frequent on campus enable you to best judge persons or conditions that are out of place or suspicious.

When you observe anything that seems out of the ordinary, we encourage you to immediately call the University Police at 911 from a campus phone or 459-2231 from off campus or cell phones.

Your assistance in alerting us to suspicious conditions, events, or persons is a critical component of maintaining a safe and secure campus.

In addition, follow good common sense and judgment as it relates to safety and security.

• Lock all windows and doors that should be locked after the close of business.
• Make certain that doors are not propped open.
• You know best who should be in your area of employment. If you see someone who appears to be out of place in an area where they should not have access, please call the University Police.
• If you receive a threat, either by phone or mail, call the University Police.

Explosive devices: What should I look for?

• Unattended packages of any kind. Explosive devices can be constructed to look like almost anything and can be placed or delivered in a number of ways.
• Be suspicious of any misplaced floor vents, transoms, and skylights.
• Suspect anything that looks unusual. Let the Police determine whether it is or is not an explosive device.

What are some other suspicious indicators?

• Dissemination of unscheduled and unusual sprays, especially outdoors or at night
• Abandoned spray devices
• Abandoned lab equipment or hazardous material that is not relevant to the area
• Any explosion
• Individuals reporting unusual odors or tastes

What about suspicious packages?

• Any letter that has a suspicious or threatening message written on it
• Letters with oily stains
• Envelopes that are lopsided, rigid, bulky, discolored, or have a strange odor
• Envelopes with no return address
• Unexpected envelopes from foreign countries
• Unexpected packages
• No postage or non-cancelled postage
• Improper spelling of common names
• For more information refer to the UCSC "Guidelines for Handling Mail" at http://www.ucsc.edu/news_events/iraq/mail.html

What about suspicious people?

• In a familiar setting, like your place of employment or your neighborhood, notice people who you are not familiar with. These people may not present any kind of threat; however, because they are unfamiliar, they should attract your attention. If your instincts alert you, call University police at 459-2231 if an emergency dial 911.

In the event of a campus emergency, we will use all available state and federal disaster relief agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) to provide food and water should an emergency arise.

UCSC Lab Security page

U.S. Department of Homeland Security readiness information

Federal Emergency Management Agency publication "Are You Ready?"

UCSC War with Iraq News Page