Department of Public Safety

• For Campus Police Dial 1444: Potential criminal actions and police emergencies should be reported directly by any student, faculty, or employee to the University Police by dialing campus extension 1444. University Police are then dispatched immediately to the site of the complaint and will make arrests if necessary.
• Other Emergencies Call 911: Anyone on campus needing assistance in a medical or fire emergency should dial 911. They will be connected directly with personnel at county control and the appropriate emergency personnel will be dispatched. University Police personnel will respond to the scene as well.

The University Police Station is located in the Reed Operations Center. There are also outdoor and indoor emergency phones throughout the campus that will connect directly to the police station. The University Police Department maintains both a crime and fire log, which is available for public inspection 24-7. These logs are located in the police dispatch center.

Our Drug-Free Campus Policy requires all employees and students receive literature stating the University's standards of conduct related to drugs and alcohol, and the applicable legal sanctions under local, state or federal law. University police strictly enforce laws regulating underage drinking, the use of controlled substances and weapons. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted on campus. Illegal drugs are not permitted on campus. Drug and alcohol abuse education programs are provided to employees through the Employee Assistance Program.

Where can I turn for assistance related to drug and alcohol use?

Students seeking counseling, treatment, or rehabilitation can contact the campus coordinator of our drug and alcohol program.

Many safety features are in place on the Shippensburg campus in order to keep everyone as safe as possible, including measures for general safety, fire safety and residential hall security.

General Safety: The campus is well-lighted with high intensity sodium vapor lights. Our Facilities Management and Planning Department regularly inspects campus facilities, makes any needed repairs, and responds to reports of potential safety hazards.

Surveillance cameras have been installed in key locations around the campus. Every entrance to each residence hall also has a closed-circuit TV camera that is monitored by the Shippensburg University Police. There are over 30 outdoor emergency telephones located across campus, and many more indoor emergency phones, which are directly connected to the University Police Operations Center.

Fire Safety: Every residence hall is equipped with an automatic smoke/heat detection system monitored 24 hours a day by Shippensburg University Police. The system also includes strobe light units to notify students who are hearing impaired. An alarm prompts immediate evacuation of the building. The system also self-tests for tampering and reduces the chance for false alarms.

Each individual residence hall room has an AC-powered smoke detector with battery backup, which resident assistants check during monthly room inspections. Fire drills are conducted a minimum of two times each semester in all residence halls. Students who fail to evacuate as required are referred to the university conduct system.

All residence halls are equipped with fire sprinkler systems. Fire extinguishers are also provided in many different areas of all campus buildings and checked monthly. Fire hydrants are located outside each residence hall. The Department of Public Safety conducts monthly building inspections of every campus facility.

Residence Hall Security: Professional resident deans, graduate resident directors and resident assistants live in the residence halls and alternately are assigned on-call duty. As members of the residence life staff, they undergo thorough training in enforcing residence hall security policies.

Desk assistants are assigned to the desk at the main entrance of each residence hall during selected day and night hours. These desk assistants are in immediate phone contact with University Police if necessary. Residence life personnel and campus police also conduct foot and bicycle patrols throughout the residence hall areas.

All residence hall doors are locked 24-hours a day. Electronic alarms warn the staff of unlocked or open exit doors in the residence halls. A card access system permits only students and authorized personnel to enter the hall with an ID card through the front entrance. Visitors must sign in at the main desk. Both on-campus and off-campus visitors to the residence halls must be escorted through the residence hall by a resident. Most student rooms have dead bolt locks; rooms in older residence halls have conventional locks. All windows have locking devices.

Special security procedures are in effect for students during low occupancy periods. During holidays and vacations, for example, residence students are consolidated into fewer halls and visitation procedures may be more restrictive.

The cost for all student parking hangtags is $75.00 for the first hangtag; additional hangtags for the same student are $10.00. The cost for all faculty and staff parking hangtags are $1.00 for every hangtag purchased. Additionally, hangtags may be purchased per semester for $40. Permits are valid from September 1 of each year to August 31 of the following year (applies only to permits purchased for the full academic year). Parking hangtag purchases are nonrefundable.

Find out how to purchase your parking hangtag/permit, pay parking tickets, and other important information about parking on campus.

Each year Shippensburg University publishes campus safety and security, and fire statistics. Download the report: Campus Safety & Security/Fire Statistics Report (Safety Report PDF).

In partnership with the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office, SUPD has an Unwanted Prescription Drug Disposal collection box in the lobby of the Reed Operations Center.

Disposal Guidelines

• All pharmaceutical drugs that are being disposed of need to be in a sealed container such as the original bottle or a zip-lock bag. They may NOT be disposed of loosely.
• Liquid pharmaceuticals should remain in the original container
• Personal information should be removed or blotted out with a permanent marker
• Prescription and over-the-counter solid medications, tablets and capsules, liquid medications, inhalers, creams, ointments, nasal sprays and pet medications